


No Good Deed

by empounce



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Action & Romance, Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Blood and Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Mercenaries, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 71,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28132854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empounce/pseuds/empounce
Summary: Cyberpunk AU set after the events of the game - You grew up with V, but parted ways when your moving up in the world caused a falling out between the two of you; you hadn't spoken in years. One day your phone rings as her name and face flash across your peripheral, she has a favor to ask: she needs you to help someone through some hard times, let him lay low, stay in one of your spare rooms while he figures some things out. You don't ask too many questions, trusting V's word even with your rocky history. However, when she arrives on your doorstep with an extremely attractive older man with very expensive cyberware, you realize you may have gotten more than you bargained for. Your job is... complicated, and had prepared you for a lot of things, but having Goro Takemura living under the same roof may prove to be the ultimate test.
Relationships: Goro Takemura/Original Female Character(s), Goro Takemura/Reader, Goro Takemura/You
Comments: 260
Kudos: 643





	1. Calling in a Favor

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is an AU set not long after the events of the game Cyberpunk 2077, not SUPER strictly based on what happens in the game, since it IS an AU, but it will be along similar lines. Basically, what would happen if Goro Takemura realized he wanted to have his own life after everything he had been through with V in the game, and she brings him to stay at your place. The struggle of self control and boundaries ensue, because Goro is an absolute Silver Fox.

** V POV: **

I thought my eyes were going fucky again as Goro flashes across my vision, an unexpected incoming call to say the least since the last we talked he was still upset I didn’t sign the contract…

I answer, trying to play casual like I haven’t been questioning my very existence every waking moment since arriving back on Earth 2 weeks ago. “How’s Japan?”

“V,” he sounds tired… weary… I can relate to that, but it doesn’t suit him, not since getting his life back and going home to his beloved Japan and ‘real food’. No, he should be happy, shouldn’t he? “I hate to admit that I need your help, but it is something I must ask anyway.”

“What’s up Goro?” I sit up, leaning my elbows on my knees, “Thought you’d be living the dream by now.”

He stays quiet for a moment, then releases a slow but heavy sigh, “No, V, I am afraid things are not as they seemed before. The fox that has tasted the truth is burdened upon his return to the burrow; where before he saw order and purpose, he now recognizes the bars of a cage.”

“I thought we were done with that code crap, Goro.”

He chuckles softly, “I think that one is simple enough, even for you to figure out.”

“Fair enough…” I rub the bridge of my nose, pinching slightly to quell the dull headache that seems to throb incessantly these days, “So, your new duties aren’t what you thought after getting a taste of freedom, sound about right?”

“More or less,” he sighs again and I can hear faint shuffling in the background, followed by a car door shutting, “I need your help getting out, V. With everything I know, they would never just let me leave… I need to lie low until I figure some things out for myself.”

“Well,” I chew at my lip, someone from my past immediately coming to mind, “You can’t stay with me, I’d probably be the first person they’d ask if you come up missing, but…” I let out a sigh of my own and pinch the bridge of my nose again, feeling the pressure increase as a light ring starts in my ears, “I know someone who might be willing to let you bunk with them for a bit, so long as you’re on your best behavior.”

“I am always on my ‘best behavior’,” he almost sounds offended, but I hear the subtle playfulness in his voice.

“I’m serious, Goro,” I straighten my back again, feeling it pop as I stand, “I’d be calling in some major favors just to have a chance for this to work, and that’s still with no guarantee, if you fuck this up by saying some stupid shit, we’ll both be fucked.”

A genuine chuckle sounds and the small image of him on screen crinkles slightly, “You are the one who says the stupid shit, V.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I shuffle towards the fridge, perusing the sad options, or rather lack thereof, “When do you get to town?”

“About that…”

Knuckles rap against the door four times as the call ends.

“You gotta be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath, knowing damn well who’s on the other side before I even open it.

“Hello, V,” Goro greets, nodding his head slightly before meeting my eyes, his own narrowing a bit, “You look like shit.”

“Compared to you, I’d say so,” I open the door wider and step aside, ushering him into my apartment, knowing how filthy it is at the moment, but honestly I couldn’t care less considering how little time I may have left – I’d rather not spend it cleaning, “Why are you always so dressed up? Aren’t you supposed to be inconspicuous?”

“Why can’t I be both?” he steps inside, setting down a single duffle bag as he turns to face me again, “I knew I could count on you V, if there is ever anything you need, I hope you feel that you can come to me as well.”

“Yeah, well,” I shrug and nudge his shoulder playfully, “You’ve lost all your cool connections, so there’s not a lot I could ask anymore, is there?”

He smiles and nods.

It’s good to see his sense of humor had grown, both in our time together and since we had been apart.

“So,” he rubs his hands together in anticipation, “what can I do to help get things moving?”

“Really that impatient to go into hiding?” I motion to his bag, “This seriously everything you’re bringing?”

“I would not want to waste anyone’s time, V,” he states plainly, pursing his lips for a moment before continuing, “I am not one to sit around and wait when there is something to be done. As for the bag, I find that the less I bring from my old life, the easier it may be to move on from.”

I motion to the couch, offering him a place to sit, though not surprisingly he declines and instead leans against the kitchen counter while I make a phone call.

I… honestly don’t expect her to pick up…. It had been years since we talked, and that had ended in a big fight when she moved up in the world. At the time, I saw it as a betrayal to our friendship, to our morals… we had grown up together in the streets of Night City, watched out for each other, and then she had to go and make it big. To be fair, she had offered to bring me up with her, but… I was just a stupid kid then, I saw it as her taking pity on me rather than what it really was – her way of keeping me around.

I fucked up, big time, and I’ve been regretting it more and more lately.

There’s not many people you can count on in this life, and she was one of them.

I’m hoping… maybe… she still is.

** Your POV: **

The phone rings and a familiar face shows in your peripheral – a ghost from the past you’d long tried to forget, though, the good memories outweigh the bad, and in the years you had been apart you had done a lot of growing up… maybe she had too.

You answer somewhat hesitantly, but keep your voice even, “Hey V.”

“Hey…” She mumbles back into the phone, surprise evident in her tone, as if your voice had caught her off guard already just in your willingness to talk to her at all, “I uh, I know we haven’t talked since… well, I fucked everything up, but…” she sighs and you can hear her curse under her breath, “I hate for this to be the reason I call, I’ve thought about it over and over again before this I just…”

“You need a favor.”

She sighs again, staying silent for a moment before speaking again in a low voice, “I have this friend… I trust him, but he needs somewhere to go for a while, lay low while he gets his bearings straight.”

“And you thought of me?” You push aside your laptop, focusing entirely on the conversation, “I’m flattered.”

“He won’t cause any fuss,” She stresses the words, which tells you he’s standing near her and she’s giving him guidelines more than reassuring you, “He’s clean, he can cook, he’s **mostly** respectful… and I trust him with my life.”

“Do you remember how to get to my place?”

“Yeah,” she seems to perk up, “Does that mean-“

“Bring him by,” you interrupt her, admittedly your curiosity had been piqued, but if you were being honest with yourself, you really wanted a chance to reconcile with your childhood friend… “I’d like to meet him before making any decisions.”

** V POV: **

She hangs up the phone and I’m left… baffled, for lack of better words.

“What did they say?” Goro’s voice snaps me back to the present moment, his brows knitted ever so slightly.

“She wants to meet you first,” I run a hand down my face before standing to look for my keys, “Grab your stuff, we shouldn’t keep her waiting or she might wise up and change her mind.”

He grabs his single bag and follows me to the garage, reluctantly getting in the passenger seat after stowing his things in the trunk. “And who is ‘she’, exactly?”

“An old friend,” I say softly, feeling some sentiment prickle along the edge of my eyes, “I haven’t seen her in a few years, but, I actually think the two of you will get along.”

“What makes you say that?” He glances over, one of his brows quirked, “I hated you when we first met.”

I give a short laugh, my lips pulling into a smile as I shake my head, “We grew up similar, but she turned out a lot different, took a lot different roads than I did… made her way up and out of this shit hole,” I gesture vaguely to the city around me as we drive on, “she dresses nice, like you do,” he nods at this, which I try not to take offense at as he silently judges my own attire as always, “and she knows how to cook.”

He quirks a brow again, the edge of his lips twitching up, “Real food?”

I smirk, knowing that would get him, “Yeah, Goro, ‘real food’. You won’t be slummin’ it if she agrees to take you in, trust me on that.”


	2. The Truth About V

** V POV: **

Goro steps out of the car, barely taking his eye off the house as he pulls his bag from the trunk, “What did you say your friend does for a living?”

“I didn’t.”

He flashes me an annoyed glance, but doesn’t press further as we walk up to the massive double doors. I know there’s no need to knock, she had already opened the gate for us when we pulled in, but the instinct is automatic and my knuckles find the cold steel anyway.

The doors open on their own, her voice calling out from deeper inside, “I’m in the kitchen, make yourselves at home.”

Though the décor has changed, and the security system got beefed up, the general layout of the place is still the same. I lead Goro to the living room off to the side, flopping down on one of the couches and repressing a smirk as he hesitantly seats himself as close to the door as possible. Old habits die hard – to be fair, he doesn’t know her like I do, so it makes sense to be warry. Although, if he knew he better, he may be even more so…

Before I can say anything to him, she rounds the corner with a large, covered tray, setting it on the coffee table before us, “I hope you came hungry, because I tried a new recipe and got carried away with the portions.”

Goro, always the gentleman in these situations, stands and bows his head slightly before offering his hand, “I am Goro Takemura,” they shake briefly, and she flashes her award winning smile – a good sign, “I thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she glances towards me, then meets Goro’s gaze again, her posture never faltering as she stands confidently before him, “but let’s eat, then we can talk, yeah?”

He nods curtly and, after waiting for her to sit first, takes his seat a little closer to the table.

“Whatcha got for us today?” I scoot closer to the table, picking the cover off the tray and releasing a cloud of mouthwatering aroma. “Fuck, you’ve outdone yourself this time.”

She shrugs and offers a genuine smile, the edges of her eyes crinkling just slightly as they meet mine, “How’ve you been, V?”

** Your POV: **

Company is always a fun excuse to cook in large potions, and to try new recipes. At the very least, that part of the day would be enjoyable, and who knows, maybe seeing V again will be good; maybe you’ll catch up and it’ll be just like old times…

You allow them through the gates, seeing V’s face and a silhouette of a second person in the passenger seat, though you don’t pay much attention to their face, knowing you wouldn’t recognize them anyway. If V vouched for him, you could at least trust to meet with him here. Besides, if anything were to happen, your security system would kick in instantly.

Meeting in your own home offered many comforts.

V knows her way around, so you don’t hesitate to call out for them to make themselves comfortable. The food is finished, and you were almost done plating it all to carry out.

“I hope you’re hungry,” you call out as you step into the living room, gaining both of their attention as you place the tray on the coffee table, “because I tried a new recipe and got carried away with the portions.”

The man she brought with her stands, earning your full attention for the first time. It would be a lie to say you weren’t intimidated, but you keep your head high and flash a warm smile at him as he bows his head softly, then take his hand when he offers to introduce himself.

“I am Goro Takemura,” his voice is deep, but he tries to be gentle and courteous. Admittedly, you find yourself studying him a little deeper than intended, his cyberware being top grade, and demeanor showing proficiency in dealing with all kinds of people. But, more than that, the glow of his eyes contrasting with his dark eyelashes, the tidy bun at the back of his head fading gray at the edges framed with a scruff but well-trimmed beard. He was definitely someone important, someone dangerous – that much is obvious. “I thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” you warn, glancing towards V and fully seeing her for the first time since you had the falling out, she looks… sick… you turn your eyes back to Goro, though having a strange flutter through your chest if you meet his gaze for too long, “but let’s eat, then we can talk, yeah?”

You take your seat, noting that Goro waits for you to be settled before returning to his own, causing you to smile softly to yourself.

V scoots closer to the table, reaching for the cover, “Whatcha got for us today?” she removes the lid, releasing the aroma and allowing it to waft around the room, “Fuck, you’ve outdone yourself this time.”

You shrug, glancing between the two of them and tearing your eyes from Goro to rest on V, she seems tired… “How’ve you been V?”

“Well,” she fixes a plate from the tray, helping herself first as always, though it does your heart good to see her acting like her old self after being apart so long, “I’m dying, so there’s that.”

Your composure falters for the first time since letting them in. No matter how unintentional, you feel your body stiffen and the usual façade crumble as you mutter in response, “What?...”

She shrugs, all too casual as she takes a bite of the food and relishes in the flavor, her eyes rolling back as she hums in approval, nudging Goro with her elbow, “You’ve gotta get in on this, it’s amazing.”

“V,” you lean forward, trying to make her focus, “V, you’re joking right?”

“I am afraid,” Goro speaks up, his tone solumn, “She is not joking.”

They take turns telling certain parts of the story, trying to give you the details without taking too long to get the point across. V seems to have accepted it already, or least given up hope of fighting the issue, as she stuffs her face with food between sentences, letting Goro fill in the gaps for her.

You sit in silence, taking in their words, seeing why V trusts this man so much, why she brought him to you, why he decided to abandon his old life.

A part of you feels… empty. Like a hole took residence somewhere inside, leaving you with an aching feeling of loneliness. The one person who knew you most in this world, the person you thought you were gonna be able to reconcile with… is dying; she’ll be gone in a matter of months.

“I think,” Goro speaks softly, his words aimed at V but his eyes not leaving you, “we should give her some time, V.”

They both stand to leave, but as they turn, you find voice once more, “You can stay,” they stop and face you again, V’s brows knitted, “I’ll show you your room, get you set up, but V…” you stand to move before her, her body now seeming so frail as you remember that small child you looked after as children, she was only 3 years younger, but to you, she had always been like a sister who you needed to protect, sometimes even from herself, “please call if you need anything,” you wrap your arms around her, seeming to take her by surprise as she falters and hesitantly hugs you in return, her arms squeezing tighter as she buries her face in your shoulder, “anything at all…”

She opts to go home, saying it had been enough emotion for one day, and that she wanted to give you and Goro a chance to know each other – seeing as you’d be living together for the foreseeable future.

After she leaves, you find yourself more alone than ever before.

Goro places a gentle hand on your shoulder, though retracting it when you meet his eyes and clearing his throat somewhat uncomfortably. You smile in return, deciding not to comment on the light blush dancing across his cheeks before he looks away.

“I’m sure you’ve had a long journey,” you motion down the hallway, “I’ll show you your room and you can settle in.”

“Thank you,” he grabs his bag and follows, “I’m sure you could use some time to process things, but if there is anything I can help with while I am staying here, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“I’m sure that won’t be-“

“I insist,” he matches his gait to yours, glancing over from time to time as if to check on you, “I do not wish to be a burden while I’m here.”

“If anything,” you open the door and show him inside, revealing a large condo-like room, “I’ll be grateful for the company. You have your own master suite, full kitchen and shower included, but please feel free to use the main kitchen, it’s stocked at all times, and not with that garbage V considers food. Do help yourself, make yourself at home, I only ask that you knock before going into any other rooms, if it’s locked I can promise you there’s a reason for it.”

He smiles softly, nodding along, “I will do my best to be a courteous guest in your home.”

“I’m sure you will,” you feel your shoulders relax slightly, turning to leave and offering one last glance over your shoulder, “I’ll be cooking dinner tonight, I planned to have enough for 3, just in case. You’re free to join me or to eat in your room if you’d rather be alone. I won’t take offense.”

“I would be happy to join you for dinner,” he gives a soft bow, and with that, you close the door behind you.

The walk to the other side of the house is longer than usual, your limbs weighing heavy, composure slipping as a tear trails along the edge of your eye, sliding slowly down your cheek as you squeeze them shut. You hurriedly make your way to your own room, and once safely inside, lock the door, feeling the cool metal at your back as you slowly slide down to sit on the floor. Knees hugged to your chest, you let out everything you had been so desperately trying to keep inside.


	3. Inner Voice

** Goro POV: **

The room is much nicer than I had expected, though, when arriving, the sprawling mansion should have been a dead giveaway that V had very much understated the extent of this friend’s status.

Not that I would complain.

The meeting had turned… heavy.

V dropping the bomb rather unceremoniously, leaving her friend understandably shocked. I had hoped to talk more, get to know who I will be staying with, but V’s word will have to be enough to go on.

For now.

After spending so much time with V, and then meeting this new woman, I find myself wondering what choices led them so far apart. They are so different, yet clearly still very connected to each other. One wearing her emotions on her sleeve and being brash in her aggressive actions towards everything and everyone, the other keeping her composure and carrying herself with an air of confidence more akin to the educated elite I am accustomed to. Both relatable in their own ways.

But, how is it that these two grew up together? Came from the same streets?

Yet, came to exist in 2 vastly different paths of life.

Maybe, with time, I will be able to learn more.

For now, I unpack my things into the closet, a strange sensation taking root as I inspect the room that I will be calling home for… well… I do not know how long. Though there are definitely comforts in staying here, I find myself settling into old habits: checking the corners, feeling along the lamp shades, scanning the mirrors, and affixing a small handgun to the underside of the bedside table.

I find no cameras, no microphones, no hidden surveillance. This puts me at ease somewhat, allowing me to realize the significant time that had passed, and to become aware of the ache in my stomach as a low growl sounds.

A quick splash of water on my face does well to refresh my tired, travel-weary eyes. While I wish for nothing more than to shower and collapse into bed, I find myself intrigued and do not want to waste the opportunity for further conversations.

After all, I do not want to be rude to my gracious host.

Getting to know one another could prove invaluable.

I shed my jacket, hoping it will not be too informal for dinner as I roll up my sleeves to sit just above my elbows.

As if on cue, I receive a message that dinner is ready from an unknown sender.

V must have already shared my current contact information.

Rather than reply, I make my way towards the door, catching a brief glimpse of myself in the mirror as I pass by. I take pride in maintaining a professional, clean appearance on most days, but today I barely recognize the tired, graying man staring back at me.

With a sigh, I pass through the door and do my best to follow the admittedly mouthwatering fragrance that grows stronger with each step.

I do not consider myself to have ever been a man with wandering eyes, but find myself transfixed as I round the corner to see her. She was dressed well earlier, but her current choice of a black dress… suits her to say the least.

Swallowing thickly, I reorient myself before clearing my throat to make my presence known. Her eyes land on me with a smile, creating an uncomfortable stirring of heat in my cheeks as my chest tightens.

She motions to the already set table, “Decided to join me?”

“As I said before,” I offer a soft smile and pull one of the chairs out for her, doing my best to ignore the faint smell of her perfume and the tattoo trailing along the soft skin of her back, “I am happy to join you.”

She chuckles, keeping her hands in her lap until I seat myself, then taking a glass of water in her hand and raising it slightly, “I hope you enjoy the food, V mentioned you have… particular tastes.”

“I do not think that street trash she manages to choke down can be called food.”

A smirk spreads across her features as she takes a sip, the glass leaving a light shine to her lower lip.

My chest flutters before I tear my attention away, gazing down at the food before me to take the first bite.

** Your POV: **

You don’t want to overdress for dinner, but he seems the type to be accustomed to fine dining, especially with V’s comment about his picky eating. Not to mention the extremely high-end threads he was already wearing upon arrival.

A simple, but classy black dress catches your eye, hanging in the corner of your closet among countless others. It shows a large portion of your back, and has slits at either leg, but trails the floor as well as covering up to your neck in the front in a somewhat turtle-halter style, which you find to be an elegant compromise suitable for the occasion.

You send a quick message to the contact V had shared with you as you make your way back to the dinning room, pausing just beside the already set table to check in on V as well.

She responds almost immediately, keeping your attention, wanting now more than ever to catch up with her; to reconcile the past before it’s too late.

It’s… easier… over message to talk without getting choked up, but you hope to see her again soon to talk further, telling her as much and trying to pin down a date for her to come visit again.

You don’t notice as Goro’s figure fills the doorway until he clears his throat, your mouth going slightly dry at the sight of him in a white button-down, the sleeves rolled up revealing his tattooed forearms scattered with glints of metal.

Smiling is the most you can manage as you regain your composure and motion to the table, “Decided to join me?”

“As I said before,” his voice is even deeper than before, sleep clearly being what he truly craved in the moment, leaving a husky rasp to his tone as he pulls out one of the chairs for you, “I am happy to join you.”

You do your best to ignore the light graze of his fingers across your back as he scoots the chair in beneath you, keeping your hands fixed in your lap until he situates himself in his own seat across the table. His eyes, though certainly a brightly chosen optics set, still send a light shiver across your skin as they land on you.

Surprisingly enough, you feel a smooth chuckle flow from your lips, raising a glass almost in habitual response to having a dinner guest, “I hope you enjoy the food, V mentioned you have… particular tastes.”

His eyes roll casually to the side, an annoyed grimace, though somewhat playful, accompanies a short huff, “I do not think that street trash she manages to choke down can be called food.”

You take a sip of water, an amused smirk tugging at your lips behind the glass. The cool liquid does little to soothe the seemingly perpetual state of dryness caught in your throat, but Goro seems too deep in thought to notice, or perhaps simply too tired to comment as he instead focuses on his food.

The two of you make small talk throughout dinner, neither pressing the other too much, knowing he had a long day of travel and that you were still dealing with the news of V’s condition. The rest could wait, for now, it seemed to be enough just to enjoy the food and each other’s company.

Oddly enough, the latter comes easily; genuine smiles and laughter fill the air as you both slowly relax and begin to trust letting your guards down.

He politely offers to help clean up, though you turn him down repeatedly, insisting that he go to bed and finally get some rest.

Eventually, he concedes, thanking you again for your hospitality before walking off and leaving you to yourself.

You take a deep breath and mentally shake yourself, wondering if V had planned all this as some sort of ultimate test of will, or if sheer happenstance had fated that such a dangerously handsome man – in more ways than one – be deposited upon your doorstep in need of a room. Either way, this arrangement could prove to be much more difficult than you bargained for.

** Goro POV: **

I return to my room somehow feeling less exhausted than before, but a warm shower manages to reaffirm the need for sleep.

The sheets feel cold against the bare skin of my chest, though not an unwelcomed sensation. Soft and fluffy; so much nicer than I had expected to endure upon my return here.

I find myself wondering if her sheets feel the same?

Perhaps, she too, was now getting into bed, settling in for the night and reflecting on what a strange day it had been.

I close my heavy eyes, my body growing still as a gentle ache of what I believe is called ‘jet-lag’ sets in, I feel myself drifting in and out, veering closer to a peaceful slumber.

Her smile flashes briefly; a vision of her tattoo continuing further along her back, hidden by the rest of her dress; the dress' slit revealing one of her legs as she crosses them; her laughter ringing in my ears.

My eyes open again with an exasperated sigh as I run my hands over my face, flopping them in slight agitation on the bed at my sides.

Why is this happening?

I do not know whether I feel more frustrated because of plain exhaustion, or because of my sudden apparent lack of will power.

This is not how I am used to feeling.

I must be nearly twice her age!

15 years at the very least, though I am certain more.

Extremely inappropriate, and I am sure she would lose all trust in me completely were she to see my thoughts.

What would V think of me?

Even I question my own intensions.

Sleep…

Sleep is what I need.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

She is a beautiful young woman showing open hospitality, and I am a very tired man, this has just caught me off-guard. Tomorrow, I will be fresh and able to compose myself accordingly.

Tomorrow… things will be as they should.

I roll over and bury my face in the pillow, feeling less reassured each time I repeat it in my head.

Tomorrow…


	4. Hormones

The sound of your phone ringing wakes you with a start, V’s name flashing across your vision before her image pops up in your peripheral.

“Hey!” Her voice is harsh in your ears, sleep still wearing off as you rub your eyes, “oh shit, didn’t wake sleeping beauty, did I?”

“It’s fine, V,” you reluctantly shift upright, letting your legs hang off the edge of the bed and blinking against the increasing intensity of the sun filtering through as you remotely open the blinds, “it’s just one of my days off, no big deal.”

She laughs, her smile broadening, “how’d the first night with Goro turn out? Did he behave himself?”

“I didn’t have high hopes,” you admit, “knowing your track record with men, but he’s surprisingly enjoyable to have around so far.”

“Woah,” she waves her hands dramatically back and forth, “lemme pump the breaks right there, Goro and I were never a thing. Biz, that’s all. To be honest, I don’t think romance is anywhere on his radar, especially not with a street kid like me.”

“Aw, V,” you stand and stretch, feeling through your limbs as you pad over to your bathroom door, “we’re all human, we all crave affection, crave some kind of connection with another person – whether we wanna admit it or not. Yourself included.”

“Still a hopeless romantic?” She rolls her eyes, “even after everything we’ve seen?”

“Yeah,” you smile softly and shrug, “don’t get me wrong, I don’t pine for someone to come save me or whisk me away to some fairytale ending; I just think everyone deserves to find what makes them happy.”

“I wish I had that optimism,” she half whispers, her voice cracking slightly, “guess it took a death sentence for me to take life seriously…”

“Don’t say that, V…” you lower your own voice, feeling an ache rise in your throat, “never give up hope, yeah? If you find something worth fighting for, then pursue it.”

“I’m dying,” she mutters, “not much time left for anything.”

“They could be wrong,” you offer, knowing it to be an unlikely alternative, but hoping regardless, “you always said you wanted to travel, see the world, meet new people. Why not take this as an opportunity to do just that? Make this time count, maybe find some answers that could help you in the process.”

“Maybe you’re right…”

“Maybe,” you wiggle your brows, “you could find a little romance while you’re at it.”

“Right,” she throws her head back, practically cackling, “that’s rich! Who the hell would I wanna romance in this fucked up city?”

“You and Goro get along well enough, don’t you?”

“Hilarious…” she rolls her eyes, “you’re a terrible match-maker, you know that? Pretty sure I’m about 20 years too young for him.”

“Last I checked,” you quirk a brow, “you had a thing for older men.”

“Me having a thing for older men,” she motions vaguely, “and them having a thing for me, are two different animals.”

“Never know unless you try,” you move over to your closet, sifting through what to wear for the day.

“Nah,” she shakes her head, fiddling with something on one of her fingernails absentmindedly, “’sides, he’s not really my type.”

“Oh really?” your lips tug into a half smirk, “handsome, polite, older gentlemen aren’t your type?”

“Maybe he’s polite to you,” she snorts, “took me saving his ass just to get him to tolerate me, and he still barely does that. We’ve got respect for one another, that’s as far as that goes.”

“Well,” you finally settle on an outfit, laying it out on your counter, “I could introduce you to some people, just give me some guidelines on what you like, I’m sure there’s plenty of candidates at work.”

She chuckles, “’preciate it, but I think I’ll pass. Talk soon?”

“Yeah,” you smile softly, “don’t be a stranger, V. Come by and I’ll make your favorite dinner, the 3 of us can catch up.”

“I’d like that,” she smiles in return before the call ends.

You let out a deep breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, your shoulders slumping forward briefly before you glance in the mirror and correct your posture. V had always been the negative one, though she would say it was just being realistic, but you find yourself struggling to find the good in this situation, even with everything you’d said on the phone.

It doesn’t take long to change, nor to get your hair and makeup ready for the day, but you find yourself procrastinating in leaving your room. The previous evening with Goro had been surprisingly enjoyable, just as you had told V, your expectations had been quite low to begin with.

However, this brought… a new problem…

Handsome, polite, older gentlemen are EXACTLY your type.

Especially ones that know how to handle themselves when things go wrong, which, with his background, Goro certainly does.

You admittedly probed V, hoping she had a thing for the man, a crush at the very least to help strengthen your resolve; anything to reinforce staying… ‘well behaved’ as V might put it.

Unfortunately, the plan had backfired.

Though, she may have had a point: Goro might find age differences to be… less than appealing.

Having done your research last night, running any database you could after learning who he is, you weren’t surprised at how little information came up. However, his birthplace and date were one of the few things you were able to dig up, finding him to be 17 years your senior.

How hard could it be? To coexist in the same house with such an attractive man, and NOT let your attempts at hospitality turn into flirtatious explorations.

You’re fully capable of appropriate, friendly relationships. Why should this be any different?

A low growl in your stomach forces you from the safety of your room, pulling you towards the kitchen where, oddly enough, something delicious teases along the edges of your nostrils. Your mouth waters at the smell before you even round the corner, amplified tenfold at the sight of Goro standing in front of the stove.

You had assumed he was cooking as soon as you heard plates shuffling around and were happy to see him making himself at home, but nothing had prepared you for the heat currently fluttering across your cheeks and tightness taking hold in your chest.

With a deep breath, you manage to tear your eyes away what you could only describe as the single most sensual use of a stove you’ve ever seen in your entire life.

You honestly had no idea watching a man cook could be so…

You mentally shake yourself, walking further into the kitchen, earning his attention as you lean against the counter at his side.

“Good morning,” his bright eyes glance up to meet yours, smiling broadly as he sets one of the pans aside, “your timing could not be more perfect, I just finished our breakfast.”

You quirk a brow, your gaze landing on the table set for two, “you didn’t have to do that, I would’ve gladly cooked.”

“Ah,” he moves to scoot out one of the chairs, motioning for you to sit, “but I wanted to show my gratitude. Besides,” he slides the chair in beneath you before shifting back to the counter, grabbing one of the pans and returning to serve a portion onto your plate, “I quite enjoy cooking, especially for those who can thoroughly appreciate the nuances of good food.”

“Thank you,” you wait patiently for him to sit before studying the dish, “it looks delicious, but I hope you don’t feel obligated to make this a habit. You’re supposed to be a guest in my home, I’d hate for you to feel put to work.”

He smiles softly, those eyes glowing even from across the table, “I assure you, I enjoy both the cooking itself, and having something to do during my time here.” He places a napkin across his lap and pauses briefly, “Though, I quite enjoy your cooking as well. Perhaps you could teach me, if you have the time? I am mostly accustomed to traditional Japanese cuisine.”

“I’m sure we could come to an agreement,” you hold back a sly grin as his head tilts slightly, your stomach summersaulting; how could everything this man does effect you like this... “I would actually love to learn more Japanese dishes, if you wouldn’t mind teaching me in return?”

“Really?” His brows raise, elbows coming to rest on the table as his hands knit together.

“If that’s alright?” you take a sip of water, finding once again an incurable case of dry throat seeming to be brought on only in his presence, “Don’t feel obligated, of course.”

The edge of his lips twitch up, “I think I would quite enjoy that actually.”


	5. Captivated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok everyone, so, I kinda started looking on Pinterest for some inspiration and came across a few great outfits that REALLY got me thinking some specific scenarios for future scenes, if anyone wants me to start including these images so you can see what I'm going for, or what style I think Goro or Reader would have, lemme know in the comments and I'd be happy to start including those images as well :)

“So,” you insist on taking his plate, helping him to clean the kitchen since he had done the cooking, “why not run away to some countryside village in Japan rather than coming back here?”

His eyes peer over at you briefly, brows raising slightly as he finishes drying the dish in his hands before turning and crossing his arms, leaning against the counter to face you, “Does it matter?”

With a small shrug, you finish putting away the last of the clean silverware, “just making conversation, trying to get to know my new roommate.”

“Roommate?” he chuckles softly, a genuine smile crinkling along the corners of his eyes, “a step up from guest, I suppose.”

“A well-deserved promotion,” you tease playfully.

“I will wear the title with honor,” he nods his head in a shallow bow, his eyes warming as they meet yours again.

Your chest tightens, good grief how is this man real?

“So?” you quirk a brow, steering the conversation back to more serious tones and attempting to keep your mind on track.

He glances away again, “I can assure you, it is a much less interesting reason than you may think.”

“Real life tends to work that way.”

“That it does,” he nods very matter-a-fact and sighs, “I have spent my whole life growing with the Arasaka corporation, devoting everything to them and to my job; my career; my livelihood; my duty,” he takes a moment to stare at some distant point on the wall as he chooses his next words, “I… found that I did not have many I could trust, or turn to, when I began to question those decisions; questioning Arasaka. As much as it pains me, I needed help, and V has been there for me in a way I am not able to say of anyone else. I knew I could trust her.”

You watch his expression change, softening when he speaks about V. It both warms your heart, and creates a knot in your stomach. “V tends to see the truth in people, knowing who’s worth helping. Trust is hard to find these days, especially in corporate life, but I hope we can count on each other as well.”

His eyes meet yours, no matter how long they bore into you, you can’t quite pinpoint their exact color: silver? Icy blue? Maybe a hint of gold? The light plays tricks, dancing along the slivers of the optic’s irises as he studies you in return. “You can rely on me, if the need ever arises, to help in any way possible; a friend of V held in her high regard automatically earns my utmost respect.”

“I could say the same,” you shift your weight away from the counter, moving toward the large fridge to select what to start thawing for dinner, “V had **mostly** nice things to say about you.”

He chuckles, the sound instantly going to your core. A blast of cold air against your skin from the open freezer a welcome respite from the heat flushing in your cheeks.

“She can be a…” he pauses, brows knitting momentarily before his eyes widen and he snaps his fingers, “ah, I remember now; she can be a pain in the ass.”

You can’t help the short laugh that parts your lips, enjoying the playful side of him that seems to already be more prevalent with each conversation. Though you had only just begun your time together, you feel intrigued to learn more, and hope his own experiences to be positive while staying here. You want him to be comfortable, feel safe here, allow him to explore whatever mental journey he needs to embark in a conducive environment.

Admittedly, your reasons may be somewhat selfish, in that you find yourself wanting to be the person who helps him through it all. He talks highly of V, his eyes almost lighting up at her name; you wonder if he would ever light up at **your** name, if he would ever smile while speaking of you to someone else.

He excuses himself to return to his room, his eyes somewhat somber as he states simply needing some time to think.

You feel a pang of guilt, but smile and play it off, sad to see him go both because his company seems so enjoyable and because you fear you may have touched a sensitive nerve asking about Japan. Surely, he was homesick, and you had reminded him of his lack of contacts, leaving him in a foreign land living in a stranger’s home, undoubtedly not his first choice.

You opt to bring your work out onto the back patio, wanting some fresh air to think things over as you flip through paperwork. Some called it barbaric that you still bothered with physical papers, but something about it just felt more official to you and helped you process the information. Everything would be submitted digitally of course, but you always printed out the really important stuff.

Unfortunately, your mind drifts frequently, leaving you with very little accomplished. You know what it’s like to be homesick… to wish for some connection to that which was familiar, feeling lost and grasping for a sense of normalcy.

It may be a small gesture… and potentially one that won’t help at all, but you find it worth doing anyway.

A quick digital purchase, and a small message to Goro leaves you feeling … happy? Or perhaps, calm would be a better word.

The light breeze of the oncoming fall season filters through the trees, trailing the edges of your hair to tickle across your face. Times like these remind you just how lucky you really are, knowing you hadn’t even seen a real, organic tree until your late teens…

** Goro POV: **

I find myself needing to escape again.

Being around her for too long continues to prove…challenging. My will being tested more than ever before with each flash of her smile and music of her laughter.

I do not normally find myself opening up so easily, usually keeping my guard for more reasons than one.

With V, at least we had been through a near death experience together, having bonded us in a way. But with this woman… I am drawn undeniably, unexplainably, and in the most unfamiliar of ways to confess my life in hopes of earning the same from her in return.

I… do not understand.

I retreat to my room, feeling cowardly, but needing to think and recover my composure before facing her again.

Some time passes and I feel that I’ve somewhat been able to sort through my emotions, putting them in check once again. Just in time to see a message from her pop up, telling me to check the large window making up the entirety of the back wall for a new setting.

Curiously, I oblige. The interface not unlike those at Arasaka, making it easy to find the new display she had mentioned.

A single click of my finger against the glass turns the clear window into a serene landscape of the Japanese countryside…

I… do not have words.

A lump catches in my throat, my heartrate picking up pace as I fear the worst has begun.

Many may find it hard to believe, but I **have** in fact experienced some romance in my life. Fleeting as it may have been due to my line of work, my duties always having come first in every instance, but the stirrings…. The beginning workings of my infatuation being something I am able to recognize none-the-less. Perhaps, finding her even more captivating than those prior...

This could be detrimental to my stay here, potentially ruining what may be an important contact and even more impactful friendship if I am not careful in my actions. I must recognize these emotions now, quelling them before they are allowed to grow any further.

But…

I find myself sitting at the edge of the bed, staring out across what I know to be a false image and still feeling the swell in my chest as a gust of wind appears to rustle through long blades of grass.

It is a very meaningful gesture… one that I am not sure she realizes would have such an effect on me.

I want to thank her immediately, but do not trust my words, and especially not my actions with my emotions running so very near the surface.

No, I must calm myself first.

I promised V I would behave, that I wouldn’t do or say anything stupid, anything to ruin this. Nor would I want to insult my host with my unsolicited and undoubtedly unwanted advances and risk being sent away…

I feel an ache in my throat at the mere thought of never seeing her again, even with only knowing her so briefly. I need to control myself better, conduct myself more professionally.

Why is it suddenly so difficult?


	6. Tension

Time passes quickly, the sun beginning to set already, leaving the sky a scattered array of brilliant colors and casting long shadows across the yard.

You didn’t get nearly as much work done as you had hoped, your mind continuously drifting, hoping Goro is ok and being torn between leaving him alone or going to check on him. The whole point of him being here was so he could get away, think for himself, so you opt to give him space.

With the day being near an end, you gather your things and go inside, needing to start dinner if you wanted to have it ready in time for V to come over. Surely Goro would want to come out then, if only to visit with his friend.

As you send a quick message to Goro, you find yourself realizing how empty your house is; how quiet. You had never really noticed before, always taking refuge in the solitude and enjoying it. Strange how a few short days could have such an impact on your emotions.

You would need to think more on this later, perhaps a good training session or meditation would help soothe your nerves and process the unwelcome feelings. Goro is in a very vulnerable position, and even if he were to show interest, which you don’t foresee happening, you need to have the self-control to understand that he is questioning everything in his life right now. He needs stability, you need to be strong, someone for him to lean on and be able to feel comfortable with. NOT someone who takes advantage for your own selfish desires.

With a sigh, you fix your posture and set your mind to being a better friend for Goro; something he clearly needs in this time of his life.

Soft footsteps draw your attention, making you smile slightly, knowing he must be trying to make more noise than usual to avoid startling you.

He rounds the corner, his eyes softening as they meet yours, lips turning up in greeting, “so, V is coming to dinner?”

“Yeah,” you turn your attention back to cutting up a few of the ingredients, “I’m making her favorite dish, hopefully you’ll like it too. Figured we could all catch up a bit.”

The hair along the back of your neck prickles, spine tingling as he places a gentle hand at the small of your back to lean around you. He looks over the food, clearly not meaning anything by the gesture, nor noticing your heart threatening to burst through your chest as you remind yourself how to breathe.

How this man could do this to you still remaining a mystery.

You normally don’t find yourself fawning over someone like this, your body never reacting of its own accord so treacherously.

Yet, here you are, about to faint at something so dumb as his hand on your back and chest lightly grazing across your shoulder where he peers over, his height surprisingly several inches taller than you. Again, not something you’re accustomed to, being 5ft10 without shoes; you wonder what he would think of you in heels, if it would make you the same height, if he would like or dislike it?

Why this makes you blush? You have no idea.

Schoolgirls don’t fangirl this hard, what the hell is wrong with you?

“Do you mind if I try to help?” His voice so close to your ear nearly ends you, but you manage to retain the outward appearance of composure.

“Of course,” you move aside, handing him the knife and stepping out of his reach, “finish dicing these and I’ll get everything else out.”

He sets to work immediately, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows as if knowing the effect it had on you and somehow making you jealous of a knife and cutting board.

You bite the inside of your cheek and turn away, rummaging through your pantry before returning to almost bump into him, having already finished the cutting. The cyberware in his hands must make him faster, more efficient at many things.

“Let me help you,” he takes the ingredients from your hands, setting them out on the counter before rubbing is hands together, “what next?”

It’s actually quite … fun, showing him how to prepare a new dish. He seems to enjoy it immensely, eagerly following your instructions and clearly feeling at home in a kitchen. You wonder if, under different circumstances, he may have become a chef of some great importance.

With his help, though you end up letting him do almost everything, cooking goes much quicker than usual. The table already set, spare dishes already washed and put away, the only thing left to do is to grab a bottle of V’s favorite wine.

Though you don’t drink, you keep a few options around for guests and special occasions. You grab something you think may interest Goro as well, setting them both on the table before moving to the far counter. Unfortunately, you had yet to rearrange your cabinets as you had planned to do so many times and can barely reach the very top of the high shelving where wine glasses reside.

A light blush creeps into your cheeks as you hear him chuckle behind you, clearly amused at your struggle, currently on your tiptoes in attempts to stretch further.

Sighing, you decide to surrender to grabbing a stool instead, turning without fully paying attention, feeling something solid immediately in front of you. Your hands reflexively move up, something wrapping around your waist to steady you, pulling you flush against the warm surface as your heart sinks like a rock to the pit of your stomach.

Your hands rest on his chest, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, revealing a hint of skin along the edge of his entire neck replacement. Feeling like a complete idiot, you look up to find his face mere inches from your own, his eyes already seeming to study you, awaiting your reaction.

Surely, he can feel your heart absolutely slamming itself against your chest, your bodies pressing against one another, as you concentrate on keeping each breath as steady as possible.

His arm shifts, sliding to rest his hand along your hip, his face seeming to move closer. Though, it must just be your imagination…

It has to be.

Being the gentleman he is, you’re positive he was just trying to get the wine glasses for you, and when catching you off-guard simply provided a steadying embrace to avoid being knocked over by your clumsiness.

You should have been paying more attention, focusing on the moment instead of letting him distract you so heavily.

Although… right now, you could certainly use a distraction now as his face **definitely** moves closer, his eyes drifting down to your lips.

Is it still your heart pounding? Or his?

The gate notification sounds, startling you both and giving you the opportunity to pull away, clearing your throat and barely managing to offer a smile, “that must be V.”

“Ah,” he nods curtly, smiling softly in return, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes as he reaches and grabs the glasses effortlessly, “impeccable timing.”

You couldn’t agree more, mentally thanking V for saving your ass as you remotely open the gate, moving to the other side of the kitchen to fidget with something, **anything** that would get you away from Goro.

This man may be the death of you yet.

** Goro POV: **

I am an idiot.

A **fucking** idiot.

I meant only to grab the wine glasses for her, seeing her adorable struggle to reach them as her body stretched, fingertips only barely brushing against them in frustration as I let a small chuckle escape my lips.

I had the best of intentions…

Innocent intentions.

But she hadn’t heard my approach, seeming to startle her as she bumped into me in attempts to turn away from the counter. My arm instinctively wrapped around her, wanting to offer support so she would not stumble…

I quickly realized my mistake…

Her body… so warm as I held her flush against myself, her arms resting on my chest, surely feeling my heart beating vehemently in its cage.

Before I can compose myself, before I can pull away, she looked up at me with those beautiful eyes, her lashes fluttering slightly as my breath hitched in my throat.

My hand slides across her back, swearing I feel her arch into me as I rest it along her hip, my face … may have drawn closer… my eyes betraying me by finding her lips…

V’s arrival startled us both, and she instantly parted from me, seeming glad to be excused from the awkward predicament.

I feel only shame, hoping the moment of weakness will not be held against me, nor dampen the future of my stay here… I hope she does not see me differently.

I grab the glasses and, with more distain than intended, comment on V’s “impeccable timing.”

She punches in her access code, letting V through the gate and moving to the far side of the kitchen, seeming to occupy herself and avoid any interaction with me.

I will conduct myself professionally while V is here, but perhaps, later tonight, when V has departed… I should apologize for my inappropriate behavior.

I am an idiot…


	7. Jealousy

V’s presence gives you an excuse to avoid the awkward aftereffects of… whatever that had been. Goro’s polite demeanor was appreciated, but you would definitely have to learn better self-control if this living situation is going to work.

You hope he’ll brush it off, not bring it up again, just let it go and overlook how you had practically melted in his arms.

Part of your job description literally requires being able to read people… but you guess that’s part of what intrigues you so much about him; you have a hard time pinpointing exactly what he’s thinking or anticipating his reaction in certain situations.

Honestly, you can’t be sure if he found your behavior towards him amusing or pitiful… fawning over him like some groupie or consort… surely someone like you would be able to conduct themselves better; you definitely will from now on.

“This is amazing, as always.”

V’s voice draws your attention, her words formed clumsily around a mouthful of food just before she somehow manages to consume another large bite.

You smile softly, motioning across the table, “give credit to the chef.”

She stops mid chew, glancing over at Goro, “No shit?”

“I cannot take all the credit,” he meets your eyes briefly before smiling towards V, a slight warmth of jealousy flaring in your chest before you have a chance to quell it, “I was only following her instructions, I had never prepared this type of food before today.”

“Well,” she scrapes up another mound onto her fork, almost not fitting it into her mouth as she struggles to speak around her chews, “you did a great job. You should cook more often.”

“I quite enjoyed the process actually,” his eyes dart to you again, holding your gaze this time, “I hope to learn more.”

“I don’t have the patience for cookin’,” she shakes her head, leaning back in her seat to pat her stomach, “I’ll leave that to the two professionals,” she motions back and forth between the two of you.

You offer another smile, nodding softly, trying to keep your eyes on V and ignore every fiber of your being yelling at you to return Goro’s stolen glances. Maybe after V leaves, you should have a talk with him, apologize for being so childish; you’re still so mortified with yourself and loathe the idea of having embarrassed yourself so heavily.

Perhaps he will understand and play it off, rather than hold it against you or worse… pity you.

The three of you move to the living room after diner, he and V seeming to poke at each other with snide remarks and make little playful jabs at one another with their comments. Their chemistry seems obvious, even though V had denied her interest when you asked previously. Though, maybe she was right, maybe it’s just a strange friendship built on nearly killing each other to begin with, but jealousy brings a slight flush to your cheeks regardless.

They’re smiling and laughing through the halls, even after sitting down.

Surprisingly, Goro seats himself on the same couch as you without missing a single beat in their conversation, as if it were the normal option rather than one of the empty chairs – or on the same couch as V. Perhaps it wouldn’t seem so odd… if your couch wasn’t a small 2 cushion as opposed to V sitting on the larger 4 cushion.

She seems to take notice as well, glancing between the two of you, brow twitching up briefly as her smile falters for a split second before changing topic, “So, how’s life in the big leagues treatin’ ya?”

“Well enough,” you shrug, “it keeps me busy, lets me stay comfortable.”

“I’d say,” she leans back along the couch, kicking her feet up to rest, crossing at the ankles on the coffee table between you, “this place has gotten bigger since I was here, nicer security too. And did I see a water fountain driving up? Is that new?”

You chuckle and sit up straighter, resituating a bit to avoid brushing your leg against Goro’s, “Good to see your observation is as keen as ever, V,” she smirks to herself before you continue, “It’s been there since I bought the place.”

“Aw, man,” she pushes out her bottom lip, feigning a pout, “why’d you have to call me out like that? I thought we were close; thought you had my back.”

You can’t help the genuine smile broadening, feeling your shoulders relax and a bit of the tension ease away, “I missed you, V.”

“Yeah, well,” she motions to Goro, “you upgraded, trust me, Goro’s a lot better company than I am these days; last a lot longer too.”

“About that…” you shift again, scooting a little further to the edge of your seat to get V to focus on you, “V… if you let me, I think I know some people who could help. At least let them look? Let them try?”

She immediately shakes her head, screwing her eyes shut and knitting her brows, “no, no, NO.” She waves her hands in front of her before sitting up, her feet dropping to the floor with an unceremonious thud, her eyes opening again to meet yours with one of her rare, serious expressions, “I’m not getting treated like a lab rat again.”

“It would be different this time, V,” you plead, “you can’t just give up, please I-“

“No.”

With a sigh, you decide this may be a conversation for another time, perhaps when it’s just the two of you…

You shift back against the couch, nodding to her softly as she deflates, but knows you won’t press further.

“Anyway…” she perks back up quickly, “how’re you getting along, Goro? Wanna strangle her yet?”

He nearly spits his drink, brow quirking before catching on to her sly grin and returning it with a deep chuckle, “it’s better than being stuck at your apartment, if that is what you’re asking.”

“Oh, I see,” she pouts her bottom lip again, “so our time spent braiding each other’s hair meant nothing to you?”

He rolls his eyes, the edge of his lips reluctantly curling up, “stop it, asshole.”

“Fine,” she holds her hands up defensively, “but in all seriousness, are you two getting along ok? Or do we need to find somewhere else to stow our little runaway?”

“I’ll leave that entirely up to you,” you glance to Goro, “I’ve actually quite enjoyed your company, but I’m not used to living with anyone so I might not be the best company myself.”

He gives a warm smile, his eyes seeming to move back and forth between yours, his cheeks … blushing? Perhaps, though maybe just your imagination. “I’ve enjoyed my stay so far, and am very grateful, though I wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome.”

V pipes in before you have a chance to speak, “trust me, if she didn’t like you, you would be gone already.”

You grin at her, still glad to be in the company of your oldest friend again.

“That reminds me,” Goro shifts, resting his elbow along the back of the couch as he faces you more fully, his hand nearly brushing your shoulder, “I wanted to thank you for the screen setting, it was…” he glances down briefly, smiling again, “it was a very kind gesture. One that was very meaningful to me, perhaps more than you know.”

“I’m glad,” you would scoot further away if you could, but you’re cornered, his leg barely an inch from grazing yours, the small confines of the couch seeming to shrink even further somehow, “I know it can be hard to be so far from home, and I know it’s a bit silly, but-“

“It’s not silly,” he interrupts, brows knitting for a moment, “I assure you.”

V clears her throat, steering the conversation to something a little more entertaining to include all 3 of you and lighten the mood a bit. You assume she had taken your demeanor for discomfort and act quickly to save the day.

The evening is filled with laughter and shared stories of the past, Goro learning more about your time growing up together, his grin broadening with each ridiculous tale of the mischief you had gotten up to as children. Admittedly, you find yourself relaxing and enjoying yourself, not realizing when his arm had extended further across the back of the couch – coincidentally laying across your shoulders more than the cushions – nor his leg having shifted against yours.

** V POV: **

It feels good spending time with both my childhood friend and Goro at the same time, but Johnny deciding to join us as well put a bit of a damper on things…

He wasn’t as big an asshole as he used to be, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still know how to get on my every last nerve sometimes.

_“Do you see what I’m seeing?”_ he leans across the table, glancing back and forth between her and Goro.

I try to stay present in their conversation, knowing I don’t need to actually talk out loud for Johnny to hear me, _“can you just shut the fuck up and let me have dinner?”_

He narrows his eyes and leans in further, if he were real he would probably have tipped the table over by now, _“there’s some shit going on here, V. You’re not seeing this?”_

_“No,”_ I shove another bite of food in my mouth before turning away from him to compliment the cooking, “this is amazing, as always.”

She grins and motions to Goro, “give credit to the chef.”

I nearly choke on my food, having not chewed enough before attempting to swallow, “No shit?”

“I cannot take all the credit,” he glances to her, his eyes seeming to glow more than usual as their eyes meet. Something about him seems different… softer than what I’m used to? I can’t be sure, but the way he smiles at her isn’t how he smiles at me, “I was only following her instructions, I had never prepared this type of food before today.”

“Well,” I take another bite, genuinely enjoying every last bit of what was left on my plate, “you did a great job. You should cook more often.”

“I quite enjoyed the process actually,” his eyes land on her again, “I hope to learn more.”

“I don’t have the patience for cookin’,” I admit as I lean back, my stomach beyond full, “I’ll leave that to the two professionals.”

_“See that shit?”_ Johnny appears again, this time next to Goro, his face inches from touching, _“I think ‘ole ‘Saka scum here has a thing for your pal, V.”_

_“Bullshit.”_ I roll my eyes, hoping no one noticed, but they do seem to be paying more attention to each other than me, luckily… but… the more I look….

Could Johnny be right?

There’s no way.

Goro hadn’t remotely hinted at any kind of romantic bone in his body, I honestly don’t think that’s a chip he has programmed in that head of his; maybe something they trained out of him, something they taught as weakness?

Although… Maybe she was right, maybe Johnny is too. Maybe Goro is just a regular human with regular wants and emotions.

Maybe he does have a romantic side… and he just isn’t interested in me.

Maybe it just took the right person to bring it to the surface…

I purse my lips, glancing between the two of them as she offers for us to move things to the living room to be more comfortable.

I nudge Goro with my elbow, almost shoving him into the doorway, earning one of his annoyed glares followed by both of us bursting into laughter. She smiles back at us briefly before continuing down the hall, but even as we crack wise remarks at each other’s expense, joking like always, I swear he’s more focused on her.

_“I’m tellin’ ya,”_ Jonny’s already sitting in on of the chairs, arms crossed and one leg across the other, shaking his head, _“Sit on the big couch, leave the small one for her, if he would rather sit on a cramped ass little seat just to be next to her then … well, we might have a problem here, V.”_

_“If it’ll get you to shut the fuck up,”_ I sigh and plop down on the larger of the two couches, leaving her to sit, as Johnny had planned, on the much smaller one.

Goro sets his drink down on the coffee table, unbuttoning the very top of his shirt before taking his seat.

_“I fucking told you!”_

Johnny’s voice rings in my ear as he appears next to me, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he tears the sunglasses off his face.

I glance between the two of them, seeing her shift somewhat uncomfortably to avoid their legs brushing against each other with the limited cushion space, _“I don’t really think that proves anything.”_

_“Bullshit,”_ Johnny throws his glasses, _“I’ve got your memories now, remember? Access to your emotions and whatnot, sharing a brain and all that fun fucking jazz,”_ he stands impatiently, taking a large step through the coffee table before siting on its edge directly in front of Goro, eyeing him suspiciously, _“I know you trust this guy, got a thing for him even, but I don’t trust him one bit – not with our girl.”_

_“Our girl?”_ I raise a brow at him.

_“C’mon,”_ he groans, _“she’s hot as fuck, don’t get me wrong, but being in your head so much, I still see her more like family than anything.”_

_“That’s… kinda gross Johnny.”_

_“Fuck you,”_ he stands again, pacing back and forth, _“you know damn well what I meant. I can feel the jealousy in you, watching them like this, seeing them live together under one roof instead of having him all to yourself. He never acted like this with you. Sure you joke around,”_ he fizzles out for a split second, reappearing directly next to me, _“but he definitely never looked at you like **that**.”_

I look over, seeing Goro clearly try – and fail miserably – to keep his eyes off her as she obliviously seems more concerned with me.

She tries to talk me into seeing more doctors, but… I can’t bear the thought of being treated like a fucking lab rat again.

Those tests.

Those fucking tests.

I can’t do that again.

“Anyway…” I try to turn the conversation to brighter topics, but might be prodding in the process, “how’re you getting along, Goro? Wanna strangle her yet?”

He had just taken a sip, nearly choking on his drink before grinning at me, “it’s better than being stuck at your apartment, if that is what you’re asking.”

“Oh, I see,” I push out my bottom lip and exaggerate a pout, “so our time spent braiding each other’s hair meant nothing to you?”

He rolls his eyes, his usual annoyed expression setting in like clockwork, “stop it, asshole.”

“Fine,” I give in, “but in all seriousness, are you two getting along ok? Or do we need to find somewhere else to stow our little runaway?”

“I’ll leave that entirely up to you,” she looks over to him, their eyes locking immediately, “I’ve actually quite enjoyed your company, but I’m not used to living with anyone so I might not be the best company myself.”

Is Goro fucking blushing?! What the hell is happening right now.

He smiles at her, cheeks definitely a light shade of pink, “I’ve enjoyed my stay so far, and am very grateful, though I wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome.”

I can’t help myself, blurting my input before even thinking, “trust me, if she didn’t like you, you would be gone already.”

She grins at me, leaving me to feel guilty about the jealous spite rising in the acid of my stomach.

“That reminds me,” Goro turns to face her more fully, his arm going along the back of the couch, nearly touching her arm, “I wanted to thank you for the screen setting, it was…it was a very kind gesture. One that was very meaningful to me, perhaps more than you know.”

_“They’re so cute together,”_ Johnny appears next to me again, leaning over the couch at my side, his head directly next to mine to mutter in my ear, _“don’t you think?”_

“I’m glad,” she seems to blush in return, something I rarely see, maybe Johnny is more right than I’d like to admit… “I know it can be hard to be so far from home, and I know it’s a bit silly, but-“

“It’s not silly,” Goro’s eyes soften a way I’ve never seen, “I assure you.”

Johnny doesn’t shut up the rest of the night, goading me, pointing out every little detail between the two of them as if I can’t already see it plain as day. One of those things where once you notice… you can’t see anything else.

Does Goro really have a thing for her?

Or am I just overthinking it?

Maybe Johnny’s imagination is just in overdrive after the conversation I had with her this morning; after all, she had been the one to ask if I was into Goro.

_“And you told her you weren’t,”_ Johnny pipes up, _“basically told her he wasn’t into you and that you weren’t into him.”_

_“Because he’s clearly not into me Johnny.”_

_“But you’re into him,”_ he leans down, face inches from mine, _“aren’t you?”_

I watch Goro talking with her, his arm draped across the back of the couch around her shoulders, his leg touching hers, eyes lighting up and grin broadening into deep laughter.

I hadn’t really taken the time to seriously consider before, but… he’s an extremely attractive man. Has a certain look about him, certain attitude. The way he carries himself, the way he talks, dresses, acts.

Sure, he grew up like us, slummin’ it in the streets, but, like her, he made something of himself and was lifted from all this mess I still find myself in.

We had gotten along well enough, not killing each other, even defending each other in the end. But, he certainly never looked at me the way he’s looking at her…

Like she was the only person in the room; in the whole world.

I can’t really decide if the sick feeling rising in my throat is more jealousy for him or for her.

_“Good fucking question,”_ Johnny sighs, patting my shoulder, _“you more upset that he’s got the hots for her? Or more upset that you could’ve been safe and sound, livin’ it up like both of them if you’d taken her offer back in the day?”_

_“Fuck off Johnny…”_

I need time to think…

I exaggerate a big yawn, having had enough of sharing stories for the evening, stretching my limbs and motioning towards the door, “’gonna head out, sis.”

“Let me walk you,” she stands, followed quickly by Goro.

“It was good to see you, V.”

They both walk me to the door, like a married couple all to anxious for their guest to leave so they can jump each other as soon as they’re alone.

I wonder if they’re already shagging? Or if they will be soon?

Or.

Will she break his heart with rejection? Leaving him to need a shoulder to cry on…

She wraps her arms around me, holding me tight and not wanting to let go.

I feel a little guilty…

I love her so much.

She’s my sister, my family, my best friend, my most trusted contact, the one person I could always rely on. Even though we aren’t truly bound by blood, we’ve been bound by so many things.

How could I not want the best for her?

She deserves happiness.

And Goro, the man who had done so much for me already.

The handsome fucking asshole…

I hope… if I’m reading him right… if he does ever decide to make a move… that she doesn’t end up hurting him. Goro’s a good guy, deserves a lot.

I reluctantly pull out of her arms, moving away to get into my car, glancing back for a quick sec to see them both filling the doorway. My heart sinks a little anyway, seeing Goro standing so close to her, looking so much like a couple already…

** Goro POV: **

After V leaves, I follow her back into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe and watching her put away the last few things.

I had fully intended to apologize for my behavior earlier, to ask her forgiveness… but as we had sat together, my arm finding its way across her shoulders, her leg touching mine, her smile warming her features as her eyes lit up…

I lost my resolve.

Selfishly, I do not want the night to end, nor do I want to ruin the good mood by reminding her of my stupid lapse of will.

She turns to face me, returning my unintentional smile with a beautiful one of her own, quirking a brow, “what?”

I shake my head and move from the door, “nothing.”

She doesn’t buy it, head tilting slightly as she follows me out into the hallway, “seriously, what were you looking at me like that for? Did I say something weird at dinner?”

I can’t help the chuckle that parts my lips, turning to face her as I pause, “no, you didn’t say anything stupid. I was just thinking.”

She stands in front of me, a light smirk forming, “are you gonna keep being all vague and mysterious or do I actually get a solid answer?”

With a curt laugh, I return with a smirk of my own, feeling my cheeks ache – I can’t remember the last time I smiled this much… I might never have… “I really enjoyed tonight.”

She rolls her eyes playfully, still smiling, “I did too, thanks for helping with dinner.”

“Thank you for teaching me,” I shove my hands in my pockets, suddenly feeling awkward and acutely aware of how close she’s standing… her lips drawing my attention more frequently than I would care to admit…

“Maybe next time we’ll do a Japanese dish, yeah?”

I nod softly, “I’d like that very much.”

“Good,” she turns to walk away, calling over her shoulder, “Goodnight, Goro.”

“Goodnight,” I feel my shoulders slump somewhat, not wanting to part from her yet. It’s late though, and there will always be tomorrow… Perhaps it’s the sleepiness, or perhaps I had a few too many drinks, or… perhaps just my new found habit of exhibiting zero self-control… but the words pass my lips before I can even fully process what I’m saying, leaving a slight blush to my cheeks, “you looked beautiful tonight, by the way.”

She turns, walking backwards a few steps to smile at me, “not too bad yourself, Goro,” then she faces away again, rounding the corner to continue down towards her own room.

I close my eyes with a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I stand alone.

Why am I such a fucking idiot around her?


	8. Arasaka's Remote Access

Sleep easily overtakes you that night, bringing peaceful respite from the painfully attractive man now living at the far side of your home.

You aren’t quite sure what time it is when you stir awake, muffled sounds of something banging against the walls perking your ears. You sit upright, instantly on full alert, straining to hear anything else.

Another thud and low groan, but your security hadn’t been tripped so it must be…

You sling your legs over the bed, rushing out the door towards the source of the noise, gun in hand just in case, though kept at your side as you warily pad barefoot around the corner.

Goro leans against the wall, his entire body shaking as his bare chest heaves with each ragged, labored breath.

You hastily move to him, your free hand finding the side of his face, bringing his eyes to meet yours. His lips part as if to speak, but eyes screw shut in pain as he lets out a long exhale, his jaw clenching as he shifts his bodyweight fully against the wall. He seems to struggle to stay quiet, reluctantly releasing a faint groan as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor.

Reflexes kick in, acting rather than thinking as you sit before him, your legs at either side of his, cupping his face as you practically straddle him. His eyes barely open, the optics flashing what you assume to be warning signs across his vision – something is failing.

You don’t waste time talking, nor asking permission, his brow already beading with sweat and body trembling.

He could be mad later, if he wanted, but for now you scan over him, looking for which component is causing the damage.

His systems must have registered the scan, his hand finding yours and placing it at his chest, his skin absolutely ablaze, his eyes screwing shut again as he digs his head back against the wall.

You scan the area, finding the issue immediately, though… you shouldn’t be surprised. Arasaka must have realized he abandoned them, using their connection to his cyberware to turn it against him as it shocks the surrounding nerve endings repeatedly, contracting in his chest, sending pain signals out in droves through his entire body.

It’s a wonder how he’s even still conscious through this…

“Thought I-“ he groans again, his legs shifting slightly underneath you, “thought I disconnected everything… they-“

“I got you,” you whisper, caressing his face, rubbing soothing circles along his temples as you pull up the display for the component, “I’m gonna have to disconnect it now, I need you to not fight me ok?”

He manages to nod, one hand clutching at your wrist, the other gripping your hip somewhat painfully.

You ignore it for the time being, starting the hack process, hoping it won’t take too long to remove Arasaka’s remote access.

His fingers dig in, finding your hip bone, undoubtedly creating bruises as you work. But, knowing the extent of his hand enhancements, you know he’s doing all he can to hold back from hurting you.

You see the display switch from red to green, his systems returning to normal as his entire body stills.

He lets out a long breath, working to steady his breathing before opening his eyes to meet yours, “thank you…”

“Are you alright?” you scan over him again, meaning to check one more time, but his hand shifts from your hip up along to the small of your back, his skin warm against yours as he unintentionally slips under your shirt, his other arm snaking around to pull you flush as he sits up straight to hug you tightly, “Goro?”

He buries his face in your neck, his heartbeat throbbing through his entire body, pounding through his chest to be felt by you, his words still labored through shaky breaths as his body calms from the spasms, “I just…. Need… a moment…”

You suddenly become acutely aware of the intimacy of the situation…

Goro wearing only sweatpants; you wearing only a shirt and underwear; you straddling him in the hallway as he desperately holds you; his chest still heaving even as he calms.

A light blush scutters across your cheeks, “if you let me, I can connect you to my personal network,” you feel him stiffen slightly beneath you, “it would let you use your cyberware without worrying about Arasaka turning it all against you again.”

He shifts enough to look up at you, his hands moving to your hips as his eyes move back and forth between yours, seeming to choose his words carefully, “you… would do this for me?”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it,” you know connecting networks gives you access to each other’s locations, lets you control the other’s components, shut them down, make them hurt if you wanted… it’s a big thing to trust each other with…

“I would be honored,” he leans back to rest against the wall again, though your faces still only inches apart, “I am glad to know…” he takes another steady breath, resituating as you scan over him and begin the process of linking all his enhancements to your network, “that you trust me so deeply…”

“Don’t get emotional on me, Goro,” you glance up to his eyes, seeing a crooked smirk pull at his lips.

It takes a few minutes to set everything up, getting him connected and trying to ignore his eyes watching you the whole time, his hands absentmindedly staying at your hips as his thumbs rub small circles along your skin. To say it’s distracting would be a major understatement, but you choose to ignore it, knowing he isn’t quite in the right state of mind, still recouping as his components steadily come back online.

“Did I do this?” he lifts the edge of your shirt somewhat, his fingers tracing your hipbone, drawing attention to the red marks already turning a deeper shade to form unsightly bruises.

“Don’t worry about it,” you grab his face again, forcing him to meet your eyes as you finish off with his face and optical mods, “with your hands I’m surprised it isn’t worse.”

“I am…” his eyes soften, brows knitting together, “deeply sorry for causing you pain.”

“It really didn’t hurt,” you try to reassure him, seeing the last system come online and link with your network, deciding to give him access to your home and security system as well, hoping to build on the growing trust between the two of you, “there, I think that’s everything. Run our own diagnostics, let me know if I missed anything.”

His eyes grow distant, red flashing across steadily before returning back to the usual silver-white hue, his brow quirking up at you, “did you mean to give me full access to your home?”

Nodding softly, you run a hand back through his hair before you fully understand what you’re doing, nails lightly dragging his scalp to push the stray strands back into his neat bun. His eyes close briefly, relaxing into your touch before gently gripping your wrist.

You open your mouth to apologize, thinking he was pulling your hand away, not wanting you to touch him like that. Instead, however, he sits up to wrap his arms around you, pulling you flush again and squeezing you as he nuzzles into the crook of your neck. Your arms hesitantly move around his shoulders, one hand moving down his back, lightly rubbing along his bare skin, feeling the coolness of metal along his spine as you opt to keep your mouth shut and enjoy the moment.

“I am sorry,” he mumbles against your skin, his breath warm on your neck before he shifts to meet your eyes, “I realize this is probably uncomfortable for you, especially given…” he clears his throat and blushes slightly, “our current attire.”

With a short laugh, you offer a smile and run another hand back through his hair, fixing more stray hairs before moving to stand, extending a hand down to him, “we’re all human, Goro. We all need some comfort from time to time.”

He takes your hand, though doesn’t use it to pull himself up so much as to pull you into another embrace once he’s standing, “I am very grateful to have found myself here, I hope that is clear.”

You find yourself blushing again, pulling away, albeit somewhat reluctantly, your eyes lingering longer than intended on his shirtless state. Tattoos work their way up his arms, fading across his chest, scattered with shimmers of metal here and there but leaving his abs surprisingly bare. His pants sit low, revealing his v-line, your mouth going dry as you turn and move towards the kitchen.

“Let’s get you some water, I’m sure you could use it after sweating out pain like that.”

‘Yes,” he seems to have either not noticed your gawking, or chosen to ignore it for the time being, “I will certainly need water, and perhaps another shower.”

You both stay silent for a few moments, leaning against the counter next to each other, his shoulder bumping yours faintly as he lifts his glass for another sip.

“I think you should get some sleep,” you yawn yourself, realizing how long you must have been in the hallway, “your body needs time to rest after all that.”

He smiles softly, placing the glass on the counter and stretching, his abs contracting as you try desperately to look anywhere but directly at what can only be described as the most sinful torture anyone could ever be put through, “I think I will stay up a while longer, I have much to think about before I can rest.”

“Well,” you stretch your own limbs and run a hand back through what you imagine to be a messy nest of tangled hair atop your own head, “mind if I stay up for a bit with you?”

“Why?” he quirks a brow, taking a seat in one of the chairs as you flop down on the large couch.

“Gotta keep an eye on you for a bit,” you admit, your sleepy state bringing out your slight accent, similar to V’s, that you had worked hard to hide in daily life, “make sure nothing fucks up again.”

He chuckles softly, switching on the tv and relaxing in your company.

Something has him heavily distracted, withdrawn into a world of his own as he blankly stares at the tv screen, not entirely watching while he remains deep in thought.

You can’t help as your eyes rake over him, chewing at the inside of your lip before forcing your gaze away, your eyelids suddenly feeling heavy and dry.

** Goro POV: **

I shouldn’t have held her like that, but I couldn’t help myself. The pain and network change had exhausted me, mentally and physically, to the point where self-control had little meaning, and my emotional indulgences were bubbling at the surface.

Her skin… so soft… so warm against my own… so comforting.

I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, wondering what the soft, sensitive crook of her neck would taste like; what her lips would feel like.

That she trusts me to be on her own network was… shocking to say the least. I cannot say I’ve ever felt so close to someone, much less someone I admittedly know so little about.

I want to ask her so many questions, to know more, to feel closer, but I fear this would only worsen my predicament.

She allowed my behavior, indulged me during my time of weakness, even held me in return to offer comfort while I had needed it.

While I appreciate this deeply, I also feel an unfortunate glimmer of hope that perhaps she may have needed it as well?

Does she… maybe… wonder what I would feel like, curled up next to her in bed?

Does she crave to touch me again, as I do her?

I feel my jaw clench, shifting in the chair slightly to rest my elbow along the side, propping my head on my knuckles before allowing a quick glance towards the couch.

She’s fast asleep, her soft expression nuzzles against the pillow that I wish were my chest instead.

Her long figure stretching almost the entire length of the couch, her legs making her extremely tall for a woman, something I didn’t know I found to be incredibly attractive…

The light of the tv colors her smooth skin various shades as the show changes scenes, bringing out the contours of her curves and accentuating the glimmer of metal here and there. I… can’t help my eyes being drawn along the hem of her shirt, where her underwear ends and exposes a sliver of her stomach.

I feel my mouth run dry, swallowing thickly as my chest rises and falls shakily, my other hand unintentionally gripping the armrest of the chair the longer I drag my eyes over every inch of her.

Why does she have to sleep without pants?

Why couldn’t she have slipped some on before coming out into the hallway?

Surely, she was rushing to see what the commotion was, a gun being in her hand at the time before she dropped to straddle my lap. I know she only meant to draw my attention, to help me, but as I calmed and noticed her position… I was grateful her scanning would not reveal my thoughts…

I want so desperately for her to be on top of me again, my hands gripping her hips as her body presses flush against mine.

A light frown pulls along my lips, glancing back to her hips, seeing the skin there already turning purple.

I had hurt her…

I tried not to squeeze too hard, not quite able to concentrate while my systems screamed at me, my own component betraying me from the inside, but… I still caused her harm.

I want to soothe her, to lightly caress her hip again, to apologize and press gentle kisses along the discolored skin as her legs wrap around my waist.

I take another shaky breath and rip my eyes away, clenching my jaw as I think about anything at all to distract me from pursuing this thought any further.

She whimpers softly in her sleep, her legs stretching out as she resituates to lay on her stomach…

I cannot help but bite the inside of my cheek, her long legs leading up to the curve of her ass in her cheeky underwear… her back dimples lightly exposed as her shirt lifted somewhat during her movement.

This woman will be the death of me…

I feel my stomach churn, my chest growing warm as my heart thuds against my ribs.

In a last effort to regain composure, I stand and move closer, trailing a gentle knuckle along her cheek to tuck a few hairs behind her ear. When she does not stir, I dare to allow myself one more small indulgence… pressing a gentle kiss to her temple before draping a blanket over her sleeping form.

Though I do not want her to be cold, the blanket is more for myself than anything.

Not trusting my will power to hold out much longer if I were to endure watching her sleep like this…


	9. Blushing Bodyguard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to upload every day as I have been, but with the holidays here, I'm uploading this second chapter for today just in case I'm not able to get it out tomorrow! Thanks for your patience, and hopefully nothing will be delayed :)

You stir slightly, squeezing the pillow as you flex into your limbs, waking up slowly and allowing yourself a big stretch before opening your eyes. You sit upright, glancing around, the events of last night coming back to you as you remember how you came to be on the couch.

Goro must have covered you with a blanket, whether he was being a gentleman or just trying to make up for your lack of pants remains to be seen…

You still feel a bit embarrassed by the whole situation, though admittedly, you did enjoy feeling like he was opening up to you a bit. Even with temptation being so overwhelming, you had kept your hands – mostly – to yourself, and behaved more than not.

Stretching again, you hear the faint clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen, finally noticing a delicious smell wafting through the house.

You smile softly to yourself, wrapping the blanket around your shoulders as you pad sleepily around the corner to see Goro at the stove.

He’s already dressed, but the sight of him tightens your chest regardless.

He still hasn’t noticed you, giving you the opportunity to study him briefly, though probably not the best idea given how sinfully sensual this man makes something so simple as cooking seem…

Especially now that you know what’s underneath that shirt…

You shake yourself, wrapping the blanket tighter before moving to one of the cabinets, grabbing 2 small mugs to make hot tea.

“Ah,” his eyes land on you, chuckling at your appearance, you can only imagine how terrible you look, “good morning to you. Did you sleep well?”

“Try not to judge too harshly,” you yawn and lean against the counter, your eyes still adjusting to the light as you wait for the tea kettle to heat up.

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“I know I must look a mess right now,” you glance over at him, seeing him smirk in your direction, “just give me an hour and then we’ll forget this ever happened.”

He chuckles again and sets a plate at either side of the table in your usual spots, “I think you are beautiful as ever.”

“I’m gonna choose to take that as a compliment,” you yawn again and straighten your posture, fixing two cups of tea just in case, “and flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Takemura.”

He quirks a brow at your use of his last name, taking the cup from your extended hand, albeit somewhat surprised, “thank you, I have not had tea in quite some time.”

“There’s a whole cabinet full,” you motion over your shoulder as you sit, “stuff from all over the world, help yourself if you ever want any.”

He takes his own seat, a bemused grin seeming permanently affixed across his features at your sleepily casual demeanor, “I appreciate that greatly.”

Breakfast helps, as does the tea, waking you fully and allowing you to process actual conversation with Goro before excusing yourself.

Once back in the safety of your room, you shed the blanket and flop down on your bed, groaning into your pillow from the overwhelming embarrassment that had built up overnight.

There must be a point where this man grows tired of your antics, or perhaps he found them to be the one amusing thing in his stay here. Either way, last night leaves you feeling torn between being mortified and feeling almost giddy.

Goro felt like he was opening up, like you were getting closer, making him comfortable with trusting you and with living in your home. Honestly, it feels strange to think back just a few days ago, to a time before you knew Goro existed. Now you can’t imagine having this entire place to yourself.

With a sigh, you drag yourself over to your closet, quickly dressing for the day and doing your best not to let your mind wonder too frequently to Goro.

** Goro POV: **

She’s adorable in the mornings, half asleep, messy hair, blanket draped around her body to hide her state of undress. But, as she returns from her room dressed more like her usual self, I immediately find my chest tighten.

I am utterly convinced: there is not a single thing this woman could wear that would not make her irresistibly appealing…

She doesn’t seem to take notice of my eyes trailing over her, her smile broadening as I barely manage to discern her words asking if I had any plans for the day.

“I’m not sure,” my brows furrow, I had almost always had my days set for me… since youth I was trained and given a regimen, then my career dictated my day-to-day through my entire adult life following Saburo, “I… I cannot say the last time I was given the option to decide.”

Her eyes soften, “well, how about this,” she sets a tablet on the table, sitting next to me so that our shoulders briefly touch, “we’ve got two options for the day. 1: you can use those badass bodyguard skills to help me scope out a potential new building purchase,” I raise my brow at this, smirking slightly at her choice of words before she continues, “or… we can just hangout, give you a proper tour of the house. Maybe,” she nudges me playfully, “you can teach me how to cook a Japanese dinner?”

I find myself … excited? For once I genuinely have to bite back the broad grin threatening to expose how happy she just made me. I feel the need to quell my emotions, to stay calm.

“I do not see why we cannot do both,” I shrug slightly, meeting her eyes, “I would enjoy getting to know more about each other, as well as helping you with ‘badass bodyguard’ things.”

She giggles softly, my lips curling into a crooked smirk before I can stop them. I would do anything to keep that smile on her face, to know I was the reason for her happiness and laughter.

Even if the sentiment is not returned to the same degree, I do find comfort in knowing we seem to be growing closer. And I must admit, the prospect of her asking my advice with things she believes me to be ‘badass’ with brings a swell of pride to my chest. I know I was good at my job… that I **am** good at the things I was tasked to do, but having her say as much and to look to me for guidance… I quite enjoy this feeling.

She pulls up the building schematics on her tablet, leaning back against the couch and angling it slightly for me to see as she flips through and begins telling me about the location. I use the excuse to drape my arm across her shoulders, to lean into her, shifting myself close to that her arm presses against my side. She doesn’t seem to mind, perhaps thinking I just want to see better, though my eyes fall on her more than the actual building blueprints…

I do quite enjoy the process anyway, finding her to know more than I would have thought in regards to security establishment. Though, she smiles at my comments, taking my input to heart and getting excited at a few things I pointed out to her.

I cannot say that I have ever truly shared a moment like this with anyone… felt like I could share both my skillset and my emotional side at the same time, usually needing to switch off my feelings to be more efficient in my position; a smiling, laughing bodyguard would intimidate no man.

Especially not a blushing one.


	10. Have You Seen This Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, sorry I missed uploading since the holidays were here - we were with family and our puppy decided to eat the power cord to my laptop, but I bought a new one and will be uploading 2 chapters today and plan to upload 2 tomorrow as well to make up for the lost time. Hope you all enjoy! And thanks to everyone for following and being so supportive with this story, it means a lot!

Anyone who knows you, knows you’re a bit of a workaholic, putting it before anything else – everyone else. V had been the one person who could actually drag you away from it all, whose time you enjoyed and valued enough to just be together and not worry about your career for a bit. Since she hadn’t been around for so long, you found yourself spending almost every waking moment having something to do with work, even ignoring suitors when occasionally attempting to go out on dates. Though, you had sworn off men for a while, deciding if one came along that could hold your attention longer than a few minutes, then, and only then, they might be worth something.

Unfortunately, you hadn’t quite planned for that man to come waltzing into your life any time soon… The sudden realization hitting you like a brick wall that you had just spent all day with Goro with zero forced conversation or uncomfortable silence between the two of you.

Everything flowed so easily.

Sure, there were some moments that made you blush, or made you feel like an idiot, but overall it felt like you’d known each other much longer, already feeling at ease in each other’s presence.

You had started the day together with a miniscule bit of recon for work, though… oddly enough, he actually seemed to enjoy that as much as you did, scooting in close and adding useful input rather than zoning out or being disinterested. You couldn’t begin to put into words how that made you feel, seeing the effort he put into helping you, and the small smirk he tried to hide when you complimented his skillset.

As the day wore on, you easily drifted into relaxed conversation, which then shifted to a long overdue tour of the entire house and grounds, ending with finding your way back to the kitchen.

He insisted on cooking lunch for you, claiming he found it to be relaxing, and that your company made it all the more enjoyable.

You try not to think too hard about it, but know deep down this may lead to problems… The last thing you would want is for him to leave, but… your emotions are undoubtedly growing stronger with each moment you spend near him.

Friendship is what he needs, someone he can rely on, like V…

You need to respect that.

But you find yourself wanting to know everything about him, your chest tightening with every smile he casts your direction, every bit of laughter you manage to coax from his lips, every stolen touch here and there.

You know he doesn’t feel the same.

But that doesn’t stop your mind from racing the rest of the day.

Lunch comes and goes, and you remind him that he can do anything he wants, that he doesn’t have to worry about offending you if he needs time to himself.

However, he replies with a soft smile and simply states, “I’m quite enjoying your company.”

You’re elated, of course, but also concerned.

You trust yourself not to act too impulsively, but you don’t want to make him uncomfortable, or unintentionally blur the boundaries between friendship and romance too far.

Any other time…

Any other man…

You would be fine to pursue or be rejected with zero afterthought or concern for the repercussions, knowing the outcome wouldn’t necessarily be detrimental in any definition of the word. But this man is here as a favor to V, seeking refuge and solace to clear his clouded mind…

Yet it’s just your luck that this unobtainable man would be the one to intrigue you, the one person you’ve felt a genuine connection with in so long…

V would be so disappointed in you.

She came to you for help.

And here you sit, knowing yourself to be undoubtedly, irretrievably, falling head over heels for this man.

Torn between wanting to spend more time together and wanting to distance yourself before things get even worse.

The afternoon flies by, becoming late evening in the blink of an eye as your stomach growls, a glance to your watch startling both of you with the passage of so much time.

You had never become so lost in conversation… certainly not for so long.

You watch him glancing through your pantry, deciding which dish would be best as the first he would teach you to prepare, his hands rubbing together as he seems deep in thought before excitedly grabbing a few items to place on the counter.

“Are you sure you want me to teach you?” he queries, brow raising slightly, “you do not have to indulge me if it is not something you truly want.”

This man will be the absolute death of you… how such an undeniably dangerous man can give you the sweetest puppy dog eyes, while being entirely unintentional, is unfair to say the least.

You smile at him in return, joining him at the counter and looking over everything he had set out, “just tell me what to do, boss.”

He chuckles and starts showing you how to properly slice some of the ingredients, the thin cuts apparently being integral to the proper texture and flavor of what he had decided to prepare.

Seeing and doing being two vastly different things, he seems to opt for a more hands-on approach, standing behind you and slightly off to the side, his head peering over your shoulder as he lightly grips one of your hands to guide you through the correct slicing motion.

Clearly distracted by the act of cooking itself, he doesn’t realize his face being inches from yours, or that his other hand had come to rest at your hip just above the curve of your ass. You slice a few on your own before he gives a hum of approval and turns his head, his eyes meeting yours with a smile that falters slightly upon finally realizing his position and clearing his throat to move away.

Though you feel overly self-conscious still having him watch over you, even from a reasonable distance now, you have to admit a slight swell of pride when he compliments your technique.

It shouldn’t make you blush, something as simple as him telling you, “good job,” but it absolutely does.

The dish takes some time to prepare, but it smells heavenly when you plate everything, looking even better than you could’ve hoped.

“Beautiful,” Goro comments, his eyes lingering on you before landing on the food, “an exquisite dish masterly executed.”

“All I did was follow your instructions,” you smile and take your seat as he pulls the chair out for you, “you’re the master chef of Japanese cuisine around here.”

“Flattery is unnecessary, but I am sure,” he takes his own seat, setting a napkin across his lap before looking up across the table to meet your eyes, that familiar soft but crooked smirk turning up the corners of his lips, “that you will come to surpass my skill in no time.”

“Depends on how long you stay,” you jest, meaning to be playful but realizing the implications of what you’re saying only after it leaves your mouth, “might have to keep you around a while if I wanna learn that much.”

He chuckles as his eyes soften, “I think I would quite enjoy that.”

A loud knock sounds from the door before you can respond, both of you stiffening in your seats.

The security hadn’t been tripped, the gate hadn’t sent any requests, no one had called ahead… There’s no way someone should be able to be at your door right now.

“Did you let someone in?” you ask Goro without looking away from the hallway.

“No,” he states flatly.

You see him running scans, as are you, your shared connections alerting the other to certain system messages.

The security had been turned off by an unknown, outside source.

“Go to my bedroom,” you mutter softly, standing from your seat, “it’ll recognize you since you’re on my system, don’t come out until I call for you.”

“I am fully capable of-“

“Goro,” you cast a side glance his direction, pausing in the doorway, “no one is supposed to know you’re here, let’s try to keep it that way, yeah? If I need help, rest assured that I **will** call for you.”

His jaw clenches repeatedly, seeming to bite back his protests, glancing between you and the hallway before reluctantly conceding with a curt nod.

You wait until your system registers him in the room, safety protocols leaving him invisible to any potential scanning while in there.

Another knock sounds, louder this time as you walk down the hallway.

You rest your hand along the wall, slowly opening the door and leaning out with a wary smile, knowing a veil of feigned ignorance to be your best route in this situation. “Can I help you?”

3 men stand at your door, 2 more alongside the sleek, deeply tinted car in your driveway, their cyberware all brandishing Arasaka logos. The closest one to the door gives a shallow bow, “we are looking for someone we believe has been in contact with one of your acquaintances.”

“Oh?” you furrow your brows and lean slightly against the door frame, your hand still resting on the wall, fingers twitching, “I’m afraid I need a little more information if I have any potential to help, gentlemen.”

“You friend, Valerie, had worked with someone of interest to us,” he shifts his weight, his hands remaining clasped together, hanging loosely before him, his thumb fidgeting a tiny bit as if holding back his impatience, “we are looking for this man, Goro Takemura; he is wanted for questioning.”

You chew at your lip blatantly, glancing down and shaking your head softly before looking back up to meet his eyes, “no, I don’t think I’ve met anyone by that name. I’m sorry to say that you should continue your search, but if I come across any information, you can be assured I’ll contact you, Mr.?”

He swiftly flips a card up from his pocket, extending it to you, but pulling it back briefly just before your fingers touch it, “call us the moment you hear or see anything.”

“Of course,” you smile broadly, taking the card when he reoffers it and watching as they all pile back into the vehicle before closing the door.

You press your hand into the wall, unlocking the hidden compartment there and pulling out a gun, getting a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach already.

As with most times, your intuition proves correct, a loud **pop** alerting your ears before you even register the pain in your shoulder as you’re thrown backwards. The solid form of the wall meeting your back, knocking the air from your lungs as the bullet imbeds itself somewhere in your flesh.

Warmth floods your arm, a burning sensation igniting like a fire blazing through your veins.

The door bangs wildly, the men trying to force their way in, and by the sounds of it... the door won’t hold for long.


	11. Self-Control and Misreading Situations

** Goro POV: **

I pace in the room, waiting to hear something, **anything**. Waiting for her to call for me or to open the door and tell me it was nothing.

Instead, I hear a familiar but distant popping sound followed by a sharp thud. My heart sinking as I strain to hear anything more, the loud banging of what I know to be a ramming device against the steel front doors.

Panic mixes with rage as the bedroom door refuses to open for me, her access overriding my own as she attempts to lock me inside.

She would only do this if there were a danger to my presence, which in turn means she is currently in danger. The gun shot could have hit her, wounded her, or worse…

I have to work under the assumption that she is not the one who fired it, that she needs my help even if she is unwilling to accept it.

I scan over the door, looking for weak points in it or the surrounding walls to get out by any means necessary.

The sounds grow louder, commotion breaking out as more pops sound – suppressed weapons no doubt. A louder pop rings, bringing with it a glimmer of hope as I allow myself to believe it is her weapon firing in return.

But this only fuels my need for escape.

I will apologize later…

With a deep breath, I rip one of the poles from a bookshelf and stab it through a hidden control panel in the wall, wedging it enough to push and pry until I can get my arms through. It takes longer than I would’ve liked, but I finally manage to pry the wall open, my heart going still as I hold my breath, ears again straining at the silence that has fallen over the house.

I waste no more time in rushing to the front, my feet skidding slightly as I hastily round the corner, my gun raising reflexively in response to being confronted with a barrel.

She lets out a shaky breath before lowering her weapon, arm falling limply to her side as she leans her weight against the wall, blood smudging as she tries to steady herself.

I move forward, barely catching her in time as her legs give out, my gun still at the ready as I help her to stand.

“Can put that away, Goro,” she mumbles, “got all of ‘em.”

Warily, I guide her to the kitchen, picking her up to set her on the counter next to the sink, on arm at her side to keep her steady as I wet a towel.

“You should have called for me,” I can’t help the harsh tone to my voice, regretting it immediately, my shoulders deflating as I wipe away some of the blood from her face, knowing most of it likely not to be hers, “you should not put yourself in harms way, not for me.”

“That’s why V brought you here,” she smiles softly, “for you to get away, be safe.”

“My life is **not** above yours,” I feel my voice flatten, again regretting the harsh reaction but feeling anger regardless, “you should have been smarter, I could have helped you. Now fucking look at you.”

“Then they’d know you were here,” she winces as she shifts to sit more upright, “as of now, all they know is I defended myself when those men wrongfully attacked me in my own home.”

I place my hands at either side of her, leaning in closer and meeting her eyes, studying them as if they would offer some answer that her words have not. But her shoulder draws my attention, the dark fabric of her clothing having masked the liquid before as I finally notice the steady flow of blood dripping down the entire length of her arm.

I had thought it to be more overspray from the others… Assumed she had only minor injuries… How foolish of me.

She waivers slightly, blood loss clearly leaving her light headed... and here I was arguing with her... rather than helping.

Realizing my mistake, I quickly help her out of her jacket, casting an apologetic glance as I rip her shirt away from the wound to reveal the extent of the damage.

There is no exit hole…

“I…” my mouth goes dry, her body starting to shake already, “I think we should call a ripperdoc, immediately.”

“No time,” she shakes her head, her breathing steadily more labored, “gotta get the bullet out, get the wound sealed.”

I cannot argue, knowing I would say the same in her position, but not wanting to be the one to cause her pain…

She nods vaguely to the other side of the kitchen, “panel… next to the light switch… press and it’ll open, should be… pain meds... and a shot cannister...”

Reluctantly, I leave her side, returning promptly with the items and bracing her just in time as she nearly faints, “stay with me,” I find myself caressing her face, her eyes boring into mine as her lids struggle to stay open, “do not dare faint, just keep your eyes open.”

She gives a shallow nod, leaning her weight slightly against me as I give her a pain shot, her hand gripping along my arm as I pull back enough to look her in the eyes again.

Another nod, knowing what must be done as she bites down on her now ruined jacket, “I am sorry…” I mumble before, unfortunately, beginning work on digging out the bullet.

She groans lightly, clearly holding back so as to spare me the guilt, but my heart breaks regardless.

I drop the bullet unceremoniously into the sink, the metals clattering together as her body slumps forward. Her forehead rests against my shoulder, chest heaving as she removes the jacket from her mouth.

I can feel the shaking setting in, the color draining from her skin as she barely manages to utter a few words, “other shot…”

My hands, slippery with her blood, still find their grip enough to grab the shot and administer it near the wound, her hand briefly squeezing my other arm.

I recognize the cartridge as one of the experimental nanite clusters, meant to expedite the healing process exponentially, noting a strange company logo that I do not recognize printed on the side before I toss it into the sink.

“We need to clean it.”

She lifts her head enough for me to see her eyes again, “worry… about it… later…”

“No,” I wrap an arm around her, holding her up while I caress her face with the other, studying the fading life behind her eyes, “we are getting you cleaned up, and then I am calling someone.”

Whether she gives in, or simply does not have the energy to argue further, I do not know.

But she allows me to carry her to her room, ignoring the hole in her wall as the doors now open for us to pass through. I set her gently on the bathroom counter, helping her to lean against the wall so as not to fall over while I reach over her tub, ensuring the water is warm but overly hot – she needs her body temperature up, needs the wound clean before it heals over, but too much heat could cause more bleeding.

While the water fills the tub, I remove my own shirt, knowing it to be stained already but not wanting it to stick to my body so uncomfortably any longer.

I glance over, finding her eyes to be closed, but her chest still moving with steady breaths.

Though I do not wish for this to be… inappropriate… for either of us, I know we cannot risk infection, nor allow vanity to prevent proper wound care.

Sighing to myself, I gently brush a hand over her cheek, her eyes fluttering open to meet mine.

She glances down to my bare chest, then at the full tub, taking a deep breath as she nods reluctantly and attempts to straighten away from the support of the wall.

I offer my help, wrapping my arms around her and helping her to remove the remains of her shirt and her pants, though leaving her delicates on for… obvious reasons.

As she shakily lowers into the tub, I feel heat burning across my face, knowing the unfortunate truth of what else must be done.

I run a hand down over my face, taking a steadying breath and reminding myself of the importance of the current situation, as well as the great need for action over personal desire.

Hastily, I kick out of my own pants to join her in the tub, pulling her back to rest flush against my chest with my legs at either side so that I can hold her up and clean her wound at the same time.

She fades in and out, losing and regaining consciousness, but her vitals reading as returning to normal when I pull them from our shared link.

The nanites are doing their job, healing her from the inside as well as increasing blood production to replace what had been lost. Her skin color slowly coming back, her heart beating at a normal rate again, chest rising and falling peacefully as if only asleep in my arms.

Under other circumstances, this would be quite enjoyable.

The warmth of the water, her bare skin against mine, so much of her body visible leaving little left to my imagination as her head leans back over my shoulder to give me an unintentional view directly down the curves of her breasts in her bra.

I avert my eyes, clenching my jaw and releasing the breath I had not known I was holding, reminding myself of the blood-stained water and why we are sharing a tub in the first place.

Softly, I mutter her name, my lips almost ghosting along her ear as she lets out a soft whimper that sends a shiver up my spine. I close my eyes, once more reminding myself of the context of our situation before again speaking her name.

Her eyes slowly open, blinking against the light as she stretches slightly, arching against me and reaching a hand back to run along the side of my head. I am unsure if she is unaware where she is, if she had been dreaming, or if she innocently meant only to see who was holding her, but the heat that shoots straight to the pit of my stomach is unbearable.

My eyes close, leaning into her touch before I am able to correct myself, one of my hands finding her hips. Her fingernails drag lightly into my hair as she takes a deep breath, as if waking from a deep sleep that required more than just a yawn, her voice still thick but breathy, “Goro?”

A shaky breath parts my lips, my hand gripping her hip tighter as she stretches again, of her legs sliding up and bending to poke her knee up out of the water, her skin slick and smooth.

I swallow thickly and screw my eyes shut, thinking of anything that would quell the hunger growing in my stomach, the heat burning deep in my chest as she releases a soft whimper again.

I know these to be sounds made during her sleepy state as she stretches, but they so closely resemble the sounds that… I can only imagine would be made under more intimate circumstances… I long to coax those sounds from her myself…

No.

I say her name again, louder this time, which seems to help bring her around as she yawns and glances up to notice me, a soft smile gracing her features.

“Are you awake now?” I realize my voice may come across as annoyed, but it was all I could manage while struggling so desperately to keep myself in check.

“Yeah,” she looks down to her shoulder, now almost fully healed, apparently realizing her state of dress as well, “fuck… I’m so sorry, Goro, you shouldn’t have to deal with this stuff.”

“You needed help,” I state plainly, averting my eyes as best as I can as she rises from the tub, finding a nearby towel to cover herself before offering a second towel to me.

I stand, feeling the water trail off and focusing only on getting dry rather than her still nearly naked body standing so close.

“Thanks,” she mumbles, her face flushed with shame, refusing to meet my eyes, “you should go clean up, I’ll worry about everything else.”

“I will help you with the… issue… in the living room once we are both dressed again.”

She nods and offers another soft smile, glancing towards me only briefly before turning to start her shower, a clear cue that she is ready for me to leave.

I turn away, finding my way back to my room and struggling to distract my mind. The nearly scalding water cascades over me, washing away red before the water again runs clear, washing myself giving a brief reprieve before I find myself resting my hands along the wall in frustration.

My entire body aches for her.

Yearns to touch her again, to feel her arch against me, to be the reason for her making those sounds, to hear her say my name like that again.

I hastily switch the water all the way to cold, feeling the immediate shock of the drastic change as my heart pounds in my chest.

** Your POV: **

You’re grateful to him for taking care of you, for doing what needed to be done even when it was extremely uncomfortable. However, you can’t help but to feel more embarrassed than you’ve ever been in your entire life as you feel his bare chest at your back, your hand reaching back to tangle in his hair, of his hands at your hip, the other wrapped around your torso to keep you from sliding down too far into the tub.

Every inch of your body screams pure desire, realizing both of your current attire, or lack thereof, and knowing he had attempted to keep modesty in mind by leaving the little bit of clothing, but feeling the heat of his skin against yours regardless.

“Are you awake now?” he asks flatly, clearly ready for this entire situation to come to an end.

“Yeah,” you mumble softly, glancing down at your shoulder and the red water filling the tub, realizing it must have ruined his clothes even before he undressed, “fuck… I’m so sorry, Goro, you shouldn’t have to deal with this stuff.”

“You needed help,” he shrugs softly, not even wanting to look at you as you stand and hurriedly wrap yourself in a towel, offering another to him.

He stands, water rolling off him, accentuating his muscle and leaving his boxers to cling and leaving little to nothing to the imagination as your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. Luckily, he covers his face to dry it briefly, allowing your ogling to go unnoticed as you compose yourself and look away, heat burning along your cheeks and desire flaring wildly in your stomach.

“Thanks…” you manage to clumsily mumble, “you should go clean up, I’ll worry about everything else.”

“I will help you with the… issue… in the living room once we are both dressed again,” he wraps the towel around his waist, still leaving his torso exposed as you divert every fiber of self-control in your body to not jumping this man immediately.

You manage a nod, turning to start your shower before you lose all hope, hearing him leave and releasing a deep breath.

This man will be the absolute death of you…


	12. Markus

You dress in a simple tank top and shorts, wanting to feel comfortable more than anything right now as you send a quick message to your assistant about the security breach.

He responds promptly, as usual, giving an ETA for himself as well as a small crew to your home, set roughly 15 minutes from now. Reliable as ever, something you appreciate thoroughly, especially in strange circumstances such as this. Though, admittedly, your home had never been a worry of yours before tonight.

Padding into the kitchen, bypassing the entryway and living room entirely, you frown at the untouched dinner that had been so rudely interrupted. Such a shame, really; you had been looking forward to it.

Hopefully the dish is one to be equally enjoyed as leftovers.

Goro clears his throat behind you, wearing a casual t-shirt and slightly less formal pants than usual. The sight startles you briefly, seeming odd at first, but you rather enjoyed seeing him relaxed like this.

Well… given the current circumstances, relaxed isn’t exactly what you would use to describe anything other than both of your state of dress.

“Do you have towels?”

You quirk a brow, returning your attention to putting the food away in tupperware, “did you not have any in your bathroom?”

“I was speaking with the …” he pauses, pushing his hands into his pockets uncomfortably, “issue… in the next room in mind.”

“Ah,” you check your watch, turning to face him again before leaning back against the counter, “that should be fixed up soon, don’t worry about it.”

He opens his mouth, brows furrowed slightly, but a request at the gate interrupts him.

“Right on time,” you straighten and make your way to the door, or rather, the hole where your front doors used to be…

Your assistant steps out of the car, looking around as he approaches, unbuttoning the front of his suit jacket before motioning to the other car still in the driveway, “not yours, I assume?”

“No,” you shake your head, “that’ll need to go as well.”

He nods, his eyes darting past you as Goro approaches from the hall, “and who is this?”

“I don’t follow you, Markus,” you tilt your head, moving your hand vaguely between the two of you, “just you and I here tonight.”

Markus eyes Goro, but nods regardless, peering further into the home before you step aside to let him in.

He surveys the area, scanning over the living room, checking damage and presumably looking for any ID on the 5 bodies strewn about in various levels of recognizability. One of their faces in particular being… rather difficult to discern.

Goro stands near you, his eyes glancing over to meet yours, a soft smile from you seeming enough to quell his unease – for now.

The van finally arrives, the crew piling out with their equipment at the ready.

Markus shows them in, giving them instructions before coming to stand before you again, “we’ve got it covered, I’ll let you know when we leave. For now, go enjoy your relaxing evening, I believe you have a lot to think about in your time alone,” he glances between you and Goro, clearly having noticed the similarities in the Arasaka cyberware adorning his and the dead men’s bodies.

Honestly, you have to agree; you and Goro need to talk, “thanks, Markus. I’ll see you in my office first thing Monday, bring head of security, I wanna have a chat with him about why my system was so easily overridden.”

A subtle, brief smirk flickers across his lips, hidden by a quick nod before he turns to survey the work of the cleaning crew as they remove any trace of what had happened.

You motion to Goro, padding quietly through the hallway towards his room, knowing yours to be compromised for the time being – a giant hole left thanks to a certain someone.

He follows without question, casting a single glance over his shoulder before turning the corner out of view of the living room.

Once both inside, you shut the door, noting with a slight warmth in your chest that the window was set to the Japanese landscape you had gotten for him.

“Who are those people?”

“Well,” you feel at ease here, even technically being Goro’s space now, it’s still your home and familiar enough for you to not give a second thought when you sit on the bed, leaning back against the headboard as you cross your legs in front of you, “Markus is my assistant, and the others are employees here to do their jobs.”

He watches you with a raised brow, hands finding his pockets, glancing to the door briefly before moving to stand closer, “and you trust them? With what they’ve seen here? To clean it up without asking questions or telling anyone?”

“That’s what they’re good at,” you smile at him, patting the bed next to you, knowing it’s large enough for you both to sit comfortably without being too near each other, “trust me.”

With a sigh, he slowly walks closer, eyeing the bed with seeming reluctance before taking a seat as well, “what do we do now?”

“We wait,” you shrug, leaning your head back and closing your eyes, the whole incident still leaving a dull throb throughout your skull.

“And do what?”

“Just relax, Goro,” you take a deep breath and think soothing thoughts, wanting to ease the pain by limiting stressful thoughts for just a bit longer.

“I cannot just sit,” he shifts his weight, crossing his legs and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, “not when there are questions needing to be answered.”

“Alright,” you straighten, eyes opening with slight annoyance as you meet his eyes, “you wanna talk? Fine. How about telling me who those men were?”

“You know as much as I do,” he states flatly.

“Really?” You tilt your head, “because I’m pretty sure they were Arasaka thugs sent here to find you and drag you back home.”

He stiffens, eyes casting down to the bed in front of him, “that is impossible, they would not know where to-“

“They asked for you by name,” you massage your temples, closing your eyes again briefly before looking over to study him, having expected a reaction by now, “they said you were wanted for questioning, and that they were tracking V since you had worked together before, then tracked her here.”

“No,” he shakes his head, “this is…” he runs a hand down over his face and exhales deeply, his jaw clenching repeatedly as he seems fixated on the wall opposite the bed, though clearly just deep in thought, “are you sure you can trust those people out there? Do we not need to be watching them? Making sure they are not-“

“I trust them not to lead more Arasaka brand mercs to my door, or to leave more gaping holes in my walls, if that’s what you’re asking,” the words slide off your tongue with an unintended venom, spite rising with each throb of your head, the pain growing more each minute and lessening your ability to think straight.

“I only wished to ensure your safety,” he chooses his words more deliberately, though still not meeting your eyes, “I feared the worst when you locked me inside; when I heard the gunshots.”

“I can handle myself.”

“Clearly,” he finally glances up, his jaw set rigidly, “your unconscious body laying in a tub of your own blood while I cleaned your wound is very telling of your ability to ‘handle yourself’.”

“I was looking out for you, Goro,” you narrow your eyes slightly, “or did you forget why you’re here to begin with? I’m supposed to make sure no one finds you, right? I was just doing my job.”

His eyes seem to soften, his brows knitting briefly before his expression turns blank again, averting his gaze, “perhaps I have overstayed my welcome, then.”

You rub your temples again, leaning forward slightly with a sigh, “Goro… I didn’t-“

“No,” he swings his legs over the side of the bed, pausing there with his back to you, “I understand my being here was a favor to V, and will not exhaust this any further. You will not have to burden yourself with this ‘job’ any longer.”

Before he has a chance to stand, you shift closer, catching him by surprise as you press against his back, your legs falling at either side of him while your arms wrap around his waist. It’s more intimate than intended, but gets the point across as his entire body seems to relax, “I didn’t mean it like that… I just-“

“No,” he mutters, interrupting you as he places a hand over yours, squeezing it lightly rather than shifting away from your embrace, “I am… sorry. I let my anger flare… anger that is not for you, but for myself. I am the reason these men were here, the reason…” he takes a breath and looks away, avoiding your eyes entirely even with your limited view resting your head along his shoulder, “you would not have been hurt if I were not here.”

You sigh and move to sit beside him, “I think I’ll be fine, I’m not as breakable as you might think.”

He chuckles softly, the sound deep in his chest as that familiar, but subtle, crooked grin flashes your direction, his eyes finally meeting yours again, “I am learning that to be true.”

With a playful nudge to his shoulder, you feel the headache finally easing, “besides, I think I might miss you around here, holes in my wall and everything.”

He rolls his eyes, the smile remaining on his face, “I found your safety to be more important than your wall.”

“I suppose I should be flattered,” you smile in return.

His smile falters, “you should not have locked me in, that was very foolish.”

“You’re supposed to be hiding, we’ve been over this, they-“

“As I have said,” he tucks a few strands of hair behind your ear, “my safety should not be valued above your own.”

His eyes study yours as his hand lingers, caressing the side of your face.

“Do not risk yourself again,” his voice grows soft, more of a gentle plea than an attempted order, “especially not for me.”


	13. Kinda Uncomfortable, Kinda Loving It

** Goro POV: **

I had allowed my anger to flare, directed my fears at her unintentionally and spoke out of misplaced spite. I had been the reason these men were here, the reason she had been hurt…

If I were no longer here, she would be safe and could return to her normal life.

It is clear she is angry with me as well, perhaps... it would be best if I found sanctuary elsewhere. Somewhere I would not risk those I have come to care for, even if it meant not seeing them again… as much as the thought pains me…

I move to stand, but feel warmth at my back, her legs moving to rest at either side of me at the edge of the bed as her arms snake around my waist and pull me flush in embrace.

Were I a stronger man I may have been able to pull away, to know it would be best that I leave, but I… cannot… I am weak when it comes to her; unable to deny her affections as I rest my hand along hers, feeling her arms tighten around me slightly as my chest flutters.

“I didn’t mean it like that… I just-“

“No,” I interrupt her, my voice softer than I would like, my emotions boiling too close to the surface for any chance at pretending the current predicament did not affect me in any way, “I am… sorry. I let my anger flare… anger that is not for you, but for myself. I am the reason these men were here, the reason…” I avert my gaze, not trusting my face, wanting to avoid conveying too much with my unguarded expressions, “you would not have been hurt if I were not here.”

She shifts away, coming to sit beside me, though I immediately miss the warmth of her pressed against my back, “I think I’ll be fine, I’m not as breakable as you might think.”

I cannot help but to give a soft laugh, “I am learning that to be true.”

She nudges my shoulder, giving a beautiful smile of her own, “besides, I think I might miss you around here, holes in my wall and everything.”

I roll my eyes, but my smile does not waiver, “I found your safety to be more important than your wall.”

“I suppose I should be flattered.”

I am reminded again of my slight agitation, feeling my brows draw close together, “you should not have locked me in, that was very foolish.”

“You’re supposed to be hiding, we’ve been over this, they-“

“As I have said,” my hand finds her face, lightly moving a few hairs behind her ear before caressing her cheek, “my safety should not be valued above your own. Do not risk yourself again…especially not for me.”

** Your POV: **

Markus’ name flashes, a message from him reading that their work was done for the night. They made quick work of the mess, though not surprising, considering the crew had seen worse on other jobs.

You and Goro part, albeit somewhat reluctantly on your end, and… seemingly on his as well.

You were both pretty out of it, taken off guard by the drastic shift in events the evening had decided to take. Honestly, your brain felt absolutely scrambled, leaving you surprised you hadn’t done worse than curl up to him for a brief moment.

All in all, you elect to ignore anything said or done, putting a bit of space between the two of you as you inspect the immaculate restoration of your home. If you didn’t know any better, you would say the entire scenario had been a dream; no trace was left anywhere, even the hole in your bedroom wall already repaired to its original state.

The adrenaline coupled with exhaustion made both of your emotions run close to the surface, easily leaving the potential to be confused for something more – a risk you’re not willing to take.

“I’m gonna stay up for a bit,” you flop down on the couch, rubbing your temples as you lean back and switch on the tv, “you should get some sleep, you’ve had a long enough evening dealing with me.”

“Nonsense,” he takes a seat in the chair, eyes lingering on you, “I think it would be best if I kept an eye on you, at least until the nanites have dissipated.”

“That’s a fair point,” you glance over, tucking your legs to the side and leaning along the armrest, “might be a while though, still feel fuzzy, got a migraine you wouldn’t believe.”

“Would you like for me to get you anything?”

“No,” you shake your head, yawning as you feel your eyelids becoming increasingly heavy, “took too much pain meds as it is.”

He purses his lips, eyes darting back and forth between yours.

“I’m fine,” you reassure him, managing to offer a small smile despite the pain gradually growing worse.

“Hm,” he hums suspiciously, certainly not taking your word for it, but thankfully electing not to press the issue further as you both avert your attention to the tv.

** Goro POV: **

She finally grows still, the pain seeming to have faded enough to allow her some rest, her chest rising and falling in a slow but steady rhythm as sleep soothes her.

Though, unfortunately, the peaceful slumber does not last long.

She begins muttering in her sleep, her breathing growing labored and ragged.

I do not want to disturb her, but fear flashes across her features, a soft whimper parting her lips and breaking my resolve.

I move to her side, sitting at the edge of the couch, my hands caressing her face in attempts to bring her from her nightmare without startling her as I mutter her name.

She moves to turn away, as if my touch pains her, her eyes screwing shut and arms moving to cover her face.

My heart breaks…

But I feel now more than ever that I need to wake her, saying her name louder as I grip her wrists in one of my hands, holding them together as I brush along the side of her face in attempts to coax her awake.

She begins to calm, her body growing still, though her heart still racing, pounding vehemently even as my grip loosens from around her wrists.

I say her name again, feeling relief as her eyes slowly open.

She glances around hesitantly, realizing where she is when her gaze lands on me and letting out a deep breath as her arms wrap up around my neck.

The movement is too fast, catching me by surprise and forcing me to lean over her slightly to support us both even as she sits somewhat upright.

The dream must have been traumatic… for her to clutch at me so desperately, her chest still heaving against mine as I lightly shift my weight to allow one hand to gently stroke her back, hoping to offer some comfort as she catches her breath.

“I’m sorry…” she mumbles, her lips ghosting near my ear and sending an unexpected chill across my skin, “I don’t mean to-“

“Are you alright?” I pull back enough to meet her eyes, her body relaxing back against the couch, forcing me to lean further over her. Though I assume this to be unintentional on her end, I find it hard to concentrate… seeing her beneath me like this, one of her hands sliding to rest along my chest as the other stays hitched around my neck, holding me close…

“I think so…” her eyelids are still heavy, giving her expression a near sultry look…

I swallow thickly and shift to move away, but she grips my shirt, pulling me back in, my arms barely having time to brace as my face freezes mere inches from hers.

“Can we just stay like this for a little bit longer?” She whispers, a light shade of pink blossoming over her cheeks as her brows knit together.

The dream must have been very bad…

I cannot say no, giving a short nod in response, not fully realizing what I was agreeing to as she shifts over and pulls me in further.

Had I known this was the her intention… I may have gathered the will to refuse, knowing it to be a bad idea as she all but begs me to lay with her with those pleading eyes… her head rests on my chest, my arm wrapping around her as she presses flush against my side, the couch barely large enough to pin her between my body and the back cushions.

I sigh uncomfortably, feeling my jaw clench as every inch of my body screams, half yearning to make this moment last, the other desperate to escape.

She stretches slightly, her body arching against me, one of her legs draping over mine as sleep seems to have already claimed her once more.

Fuck…

I run my free hand down over my face, screwing my eyes shut in denial before reluctantly peeking down at her sleeping form curled up to me.

Why must she be wearing shorts?

Though… at least she has that this time.

I shake myself, attempting to avoid recalling what she looks like beneath her clothing or what her bare skin feels like against mine.

My only hope will be in finding something distracting to watch on the tv…


	14. That Escalated Quickly

You wake feeling refreshed, the events of the previous evening slowly coming back to you as you blink away the bright sunlight flooding through the living room windows.

It seemed to be a beautiful day outside, though you undoubtedly slept in judging by the angle of the shadows cast along the ceiling – something unusual for you, but understandable considering the circumstances.

You move to stretch and yawn but find yourself pinned to the couch by a strange weight over most of your body, keeping you warm despite the lack of any sort of blanket.

Curiously, you glance down to find Goro’s sleeping form nestled between your legs, his head resting on your upper chest and shoulder, one arm up behind the pillow supporting your head as the other rests along your side almost caressing your waist.

Well…

This is certainly… an… **_interesting_** development.

You attempt to shift your weight, gauging whether you would be able to wiggle out from underneath him, but his hand shifts to move along the already somewhat raised hem of your shirt, leaving goosebumps despite the heat of his skin on yours. He caresses higher, stopping just along the side of your ribs, squeezing you softly as he nuzzles into the crook of your neck in his deep slumber.

Warmth flutters across your cheeks, unable to move without waking him, but dreading actually doing so… He would undoubtedly be mortified to find your legs practically wrapped around his waist, not to mention realizing his own position holding you so intimately.

His soft, steady breathing sounds… nice. If one could say breathing was an appealing thing. Mostly, the way he seems so at ease is what brings a small smile to your face. Seeing him like this is, you’re certain, something rare indeed.

Boldly, and someone overly indulgently… you stroke a hand gently through his hair.

He shifts only slightly, seeming to squeeze you tighter and let out a breath, but still not waking.

Your nails trail softly, raking his hair back without disturbing his still nearly entirely neat bun. Admittedly, you find yourself about how he looks with it down… you had only ever seen the bun, occasionally a few strands coming loose around his face, but never too messy much less falling at his shoulders – which it surely would.

Perhaps someday.

He groans softly with a deep exhale, nuzzling further into your neck, his beard tickling you as his lips ghost along the sensitive skin there.

If you have any hope of controlling yourself, now, unfortunately, is the time to wake him up… You grip his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze as you whisper his name, “Goro?”

He doesn’t stir.

“Goro?” you say it louder this time, still uneasy about what’s to come.

With another deep breath, his arms gripping you tight as he stretches his legs, much like you do in the mornings. However, this unintentionally grinds his body somewhat along yours, luck having spared you only in that his hips were too low for anything unbearable… Leaving mostly his torso to press into you as his hand slides further along your back, tucking underneath to pull you into a slight arch against him.

This man will be the death of you yet…

You grip his arm, attempting to resituate before he fully wakens and becomes aware of the predicament, but in trying to gain leverage you only seem to get your leg stuck hitched up along his waist while it gets pinned between him and the back cushions.

“Goro…” you mange a level voice, wanting to just rip the band-aid off and get the awkwardness over with so you could go take an extremely cold shower and hide in your room for the rest of the day.

He lifts his head sleepily, his bright eyes blinking against the light now that he no longer has the safety of your neck to hide his face in, “what time is it?”

“10 o’clock,” you quirk a brow at him, waiting for his reaction, assuming grogginess to be slowing down his noticing the intimate embrace.

“I have not sleep in so late in…” he blinks again, shaking his head before meeting your eyes, “I do not think I ever have, actually.”

“It’s good for you sometimes,” you offer a soft smile, trying to enjoy the moment before it inevitably turns sour. His eyes soft, wearing casual clothes, cuddling you close while sharing a couch definitely not meant for two people to lay on simultaneously; you’d miss this moment, undoubtedly.

He hums in agreement, nodding softly as he shifts his arm from beneath the pillow to better hold his weight, allowing him to lift a bit. Sleep wearing off, he glances down, seeming to finally take notice of his hand still possessively holding you at your waist to be flush against him, your shirt hiked up to reveal most of your stomach and your legs at either side of him.

“I – I uh,” his cheeks flush deep red, his hand retracting as he shifts to lift his weight from you, but his body still being half asleep not entirely allowing that to happen.

“Goro,” you grip his face, forcing him to meet your eyes again, “it’s alright.”

“I must have fallen asleep,” he mutters, shaking his head and trying to avert his gaze, “I did not realize.”

The moment is honestly less awkward than you had imagined, his bashful and ashamed expression warming your heart while also breaking it. This poor man seemed so deprived of genuine affection… it tore you to pieces knowing the heart he possesses and the apparent lack of care he had received in return throughout his life.

You could be wrong, could be assuming, but you have a feeling that even though he likely doesn’t see you romantically, he at least needs someone to show they care.

“We all need affection, Goro,” you give a short, soft giggle, gently coaxing him to look at you again as you push a few of his stray hairs back into place, “even you.”

His eyes bore into you, a certain ferocity there hiding behind the usual warmth, something… not violent, but… honestly, you weren’t quite sure. You can’t allow yourself to consider it as anything more intimate than him simply being confused. To assume it to be anything else… would give you hope that would destroy any and all self-control and boundaries between the two of you.

“You are very understanding,” he tilts his head, his body relaxing somewhat, “especially for someone your age.”

“My age?” you quirk a brow, smirking with a half chuckle, “and what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Most people your age do not …” he pauses, choosing his words carefully before meeting your gaze again, “do not conduct themselves as you do.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, even though I feel like you just called me a kid somehow.”

“As you should,” he smiles softly, “though I certainly do not see you as a child.”

“You sure?” you find your thumbs absentmindedly trailing along the metal beneath his jaw, “V seemed to think you assume our age makes us-“

“ ** _You_** are **_not V_** ,” he interrupts, his eyes growing serious for a split second before softening, one of his hands lightly gripping one of your wrists, seeming to have taken notice of your touching, “you have, what I believe in this country to be called an ‘old soul’,” he strokes his thumb softly along your hand, though not moving it away from his jaw, “I suppose that is why an old man like myself finds you easy to be around.”

You can’t help but laugh, earning furrowed brows from him in return, “Goro,” you hold his face in both hands again, a broad grin across your features as you assure him, “you are **_not_** old.”

“Compared to you, yes.”

“I wouldn’t say so,” you shrug, somewhat enjoying his confused expression, “the little bit of info I was able to dig up on you gave me your age, and considering I’ve dated guys in your age range, I don’t find you ‘old’ at all.”

The twitch of his brow goes almost unnoticed, his eyes darting to your lips only briefly, “how unlucky, for the men your own age, then.”

“Again,” you smirk, “I choose to take that as a compliment, in which case, I’m flattered.”

His increasingly familiar, crooked smirk curls the corner of his lips, “and again, it is intended to be complimentary. The man of your choosing would be very lucky.”

“You’re not too bad yourself, Goro,” you run your nails lightly through the gray hair at the side of his head.

His eyes close as he leans into your touch, your chest tightening as he lets out a slow exhale.

You had read the situation as depressingly platonic, assuming him to be speaking simply as a friend who saw your value even though he did not seek it himself. However, as he reopens his eyes to meet yours, you feel increasingly unsure of yourself; had you read everything entirely wrong?

The assumption, from day one, was that he needed a friend to help him work through this confusing time.

That hadn’t changed.

But…

His hand leaves your wrist to lightly caress your face, his knuckle stopping just under your chin to tilt your head up.

You need to be strong, to turn away, to divert this situation back to platonic safety, for both of your sakes.

He leans in slowly, his eyes fixated on your mouth as he tilts your head further, his thumb sliding just barely along the edge of your bottom lip.

“Goro?” you mean it as a questioning whisper, but it 100% comes out way too breathy for either of you to handle.

His eyes dart up to yours, the intensity they portray making your heart skip a beat.

His nose brushes hesitantly beside yours, his lips painfully close as his weight shifts to rest on you again.

You need to compose yourself… you need to-

He utters your name in a breathy exhale not unlike a soft groan, allowing his lips to ghost along yours slightly, breaking any train of thought you may have had and ruining all hope of self-control you had left…


	15. The Kiss

** Goro POV: **

To know that my age is not a deterring factor for her, coupled with my unintentional position upon waking provide too much temptation. I find myself unable to pull away as my hand finds its way to her chin of its own accord, my thumb resting there briefly as my eyes linger on her mouth before allowing it to trail ever so lightly just below her bottom lip.

She doesn’t protest, doesn’t turn away…

I lean in closer, feeling my heart slam against my chest as she mutters my name in that sultry, breathy voice that is my undoing.

I look up to meet her eyes, finding it increasingly difficult to steady my breathing with her sultry gaze cast upwards at me like this.

My lips brush along hers as I all but groan her name in a hushed whisper, unable to fully put into words what I am asking, but asking nonetheless…

I feel her body arch slightly beneath me, my near full weight keeping her pressed into the couch, our bodies flush but still not close enough.

This is all the answer I need for any hesitation to disappear, my desire overwhelming to the point where I can no longer deny it.

** Your POV: **

Your body attempts to arch against him, a reflex, the unintentional reaction of your full-blown hunger for the man whose weight so thoroughly has you pinned down; whose lips just barely ghost along yours so painfully close to giving in…

His lips finally press onto yours, your eyes closing as you feel every rational thought being thrown out the window entirely. Nothing else matters in this moment.

He parts only slightly, his eyes reopening long enough to search yours before you pull him back in by the front of his shirt, your lips finding his and initiating the kiss you had truly wanted.

Where his was soft, unsure, and inquisitive, yours is passionate, needy, and admittedly somewhat messy as your other hand rakes up through the back of his hair.

He lets out a groan into your mouth, his weight shifting as he grips your knee to hike your leg up further along his waist without breaking from the kiss.

You’re finally getting what you’ve so desperately been craving, wanting, needing from him as he matches the movements of your lips, finding sync.

Tangling your hand in his hair, using the other to slide down along the back of his shirt, gripping the fabric and tugging it upwards with growing impatience.

He understands, wasting no time in lifting just enough, parting only briefly to remove it and toss it unceremoniously across the room without taking his eyes off you before leaning over you once more. Bare chest heaving, your hands sliding along the heat of his exposed shoulders, welcoming him back as he seems to relish in watching your body arch against him.

He slides one hand along your side, before slipping it underneath your shirt to support the small of your back, pulling you to him even as your bodies are already flush.

You can’t help the whimper that escapes your lips, seeing him like this just… overwhelming you in so many ways…

His pupils dilate, the optics in tune with his body to react as real eyes would, his lips parting slightly with a slow exhale as he slides his hand up your body, along your chest, sliding up the entire front of your neck to make you lean your head back slightly before resting along one side of your jaw to caress your face.

Leaning forward, he coaxes your head to the side, allowing him to trail soft, gentle kisses along your neck, earning a soft moan from you.

But you need more…

You arch into him again, your breath hitching as he finds the sensitive crook of your neck.

You feel his lips turn up into a smirk, his teeth grazing lightly and sending a chill up your spine, his name falling from your lips in a near pleading moan, “Goro…”

His hips roll in immediate response, a soft groan of his own hot against your skin before his teeth gently bite down, seemingly trying to quieten himself.

This only succeeds in forcing a louder moan from you, your nails digging into his shoulders as your other hand again tangles in his hair.

He grinds his entire body against you, finally giving you a taste of the friction you need, and undoubtedly sending you over the edge irretrievably as you come undone at the seams in a mess of whimpers and moans.

His lips find yours again, hungrier than before as his tongue trails along your mouth repeatedly, his teeth occasionally bumping yours, though neither of you care in the slightest.

Your body aches, every inch of you absolutely ablaze with desire, both of your chest heaving as you feel his hand sliding your shirt up further, the bare skin of his torso on your now exposed stomach making you wish the clothing were already removed entirely.

He seems to follow the same line of thought, his hand sliding back down, his thumb sliding along the waist of your shorts just enough to press at your hip bone, finding the nerve cluster there. Your hand shoots down to grip his wrist, earning another smirk from him to be felt through the kiss, but neither of you breaks away.

He relents in moving his hand… but slides it down to grip your ass instead as he again grinds into you.

A drawn-out moan parts your lips, your head digging back into the couch pillow.

His hand moves up around your neck, applying minimal pressure, only wanting to touch you, sliding up slowly before moving along your jaw, cupping the back of your head to force you to meet his gaze.

Without breaking eye-contact, he grinds again, his jaw clenching as you whimper before his eyes close, his forehead lulling forward to rest against yours.

A shaky breath parts his lips as his chest rises and falls in ragged motion, his hand now gripping the armrest of the couch just past your head as if attempting to restrain from pushing too far.

You grip his face, coaxing him to meet your eyes before pulling him in for another heated kiss, muttering against his lips between fighting for dominance in who leads the pace, “Goro… I want you… so bad…”

He lets out another deep, shaky breath, his hand pulling at the edge of your shirt, the fabric threatening to rip as his eyes rake over you.

The pop of one of the fabric strings makes you bite your lip, genuinely not caring about the garment so much as ready to finally be rid of one more barrier between your bodies.

His bright eyes meet yours again, his lips brushing along yours as he groans your name before capturing them again. Shifting his weight slightly, but without breaking the kiss, you feel his hands grab the entire front of your shirt.

The sound of the cloth ripping… like music to your ears.


	16. Impeccable Timing

You can’t help but moan into his mouth as his hand moves up along your bare skin, cupping your breast and squeezing lightly.

His hips roll in response, your own hands tangling in his hair as your legs hitch higher, angling to get the friction you so desperately need from him.

He hesitates, his body stiffening briefly before his lips break away to find your neck.

Your head leans back into the pillow, giving him access, but noticing him pause again only moments later.

“What’s wrong?” you mutter breathlessly, intending to shift to meet his eyes.

But he holds you in place, keeping your head tilted so that he can nip at the edge of your jawline, “nothing,” he breathes into your ear his body relaxing again as he grinds against you.

You put it out of your mind immediately, whimpering in anticipation before his teeth once again graze along your neck.

Your body is absolutely on fire, your heart threatening to burst from your chest, every fiber of your being begging to have this man immediately…

Hands moving to his hips, you tug at his pants lightly, hoping to convey your needs and asking with actions rather than words. He groans against your neck, pushing your hand away, but before you can protest, he slides his hand along the length of your thigh, applying pressure the entire way before coming to rest at your ass where he grips the edge of your shorts.

Lifting only slightly, his eyes meet yours and –

V’s name flashes across your vision, her image popping up in your peripheral making your entire body stiffen.

Goro seems to notice your eyes flash red with the notification, his lips ghosting over yours as he mutters, “ignore it.”

You do just that, ignoring the call and accepting his kiss instead, feeling his fingertips trail along your stomach painstakingly slow before he finally grips the button at the front.

V’s name flashes again.

Ignored.

Goro undoes the button, parting from your lips to hover just above, his eyes finding yours again before slowly sliding down the zipper.

This man… is a complete and utter tease…

His fingers tuck along the edge near your hip, the feel of them on your bare skin so close to where you need them to be… he groans softly, brushing his lips against yours, apparently teasing himself as well in the process of torturing you…

Your shorts shift down only partly, revealing your hip for him to grip, his thumb massaging the sensitive nerves there, trailing lower… lower…

V’s name flashes yet again.

Goro notices immediately, releasing a frustrated sigh, “persistently intrusive…”

You turn off your image before answering the call, knowing she would just show up if you ignored her yet again, especially at this hour of the day, “hey, V.”

“Why the hell is no one answering my fucking calls?”

Goro rolls his eyes and runs a hand back through his hair, having shifted up slightly, revealing his bare torso as his abs contract a bit with the motion. He notices your ogling, smirking in response before trailing his hand distractingly up and down your leg.

“Rough night,” you answer truthfully, clearly leaving out the current predicament, but not entirely lying, “slept in late without realizing it.”

“Wanna tell me why some ‘Saka guys showed up asking about you this morning?”

“Had a visit,” you close your eyes and lean your head back, trying to concentrate on the conversation, if only briefly, rather than staring at the irresistible man on top of you, “didn’t go so well, clean up crew came out and I was otherwise incapacitated for a bit.”

“Clean up crew?...” she pauses, shaking her head, “and why aren’t you on screen? Did you get hurt? Are you alright? Where’s Goro?”

“I’m fine, V,” you sigh and struggle to ignore Goro’s lips ghost along your collar bone, “nothing nanites couldn’t fix. Goro’s fine too, had to lock him in my room but no one saw him so there’s no risk their optics reported his presence back to Arasaka HQ.”

She sighs in relief, but then furrows her brows, “is he there with you? Why was he ignoring my calls?”

One of his hands slips along the small of your back, coaxing you to arch into him, making it increasingly difficult to keep a level voice, “I’m sure he’s just tired, V.”

“Yeah, well, no one would answer so I’m already on my way over.”

Your heart sinks, “I really don’t think that’s-“

“See you in 5!” She exclaims excitedly, dropping the call before you have time to protest.

“Shit,” you mutter, covering your face with one of your hands.

Goro, feeling the tense change in your posture, lifts slightly, “what did she say?”

“She’ll be here in 5 minutes, apparently,” you drop your hand, meeting his eyes, seeing his disheveled look, wanting him desperately, but knowing it has to wait…

He groans in annoyance, his head drooping forward to rest at your shoulder, “impeccable timing, as always…”

He presses a light kiss along your jaw, cheek, then temple before untangling himself from you, quickly finding his shirt and offering it to you as you rise from the couch.

You slip it on over your head, the fabric extremely soft and smelling of him. It brings a smile to your face, his eyes trailing over you as you quirk a brow in return.

“It looks much better on you, than it ever did me,” his arm snakes around your waist, pulling you flush against him as the other hand caresses along your jaw.

Warmth flutters across your cheeks, his lips finding yours in a slow but deep kiss.

Reluctantly, you place your hands on his chest to gently push away, “we’re on limited time here.”

He rolls his eyes, but pulls you flush again, almost knocking the breath from you, “do not think you are let off the hook, just because we are interrupted,” he smirks, his eyes lingering on your lips, “I do not forget so easily.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” you give him one last kiss, one to remember, one to make him think and yearn for more until you have the chance to be alone again before pulling away.

He mutters something under his breath, your translator not quite catching it as you part ways to hastily freshen up for company in your separate rooms.


	17. Ordering In

You dress quickly, the notification of someone arriving at your front gate sounding all too soon for you to bother with hair or makeup more than tidying the mop atop your head somewhat.

V knocks at the door just as you make your way into the hall, you remotely open the door and meet her halfway, smiling and embracing her in greeting even with your slight annoyance towards her for interrupting so abruptly.

“Where’s Goro?” she glances around, her arms folding across her chest.

“Hello, V,” his voice sounds from the other hall as he rounds the corner, buttoning his sleeves at his wrists, looking tidy as ever in his usual style of attire.

“There you are,” she moves as if to hug him, but falters, seeming to second guess herself and decide against it, “why were you ignoring my calls?”

“It was a long evening,” he sighs, tucking his hands in his front pockets, “we had some unexpected company, as I am sure you have heard by now.”

“Yeah,” she nods softly, glancing between the two of you, “so what happened exactly?”

“Don’t worry about it,” you smile, motioning toward the living room, “let’s all just sit down and order some lunch.”

She obliges in sitting, but doesn’t let things drop so easily, “you said you had to break out the nanites, what’s up with that? You got hurt?”

“I said not to worry about it,” you really don’t wanna get into the details with her, not right now anyway, your mind working in overtime just to ignore Goro’s presence as he joins you on the couch.

“And what about you?” she glances over to him, her brow quirking, “where were you the whole time?”

You notice him stiffen slightly, clearly still annoyed about your having locked him in at the time…

“I was ripping a hole in her wall,” he admits, the statement seeming oddly humorous in retrospect.

V tilts her head, eyes narrowing briefly, “come again?”

“I believed her to be in danger,” he shrugs, “I did what I thought necessary.”

“So,” she throws a thumb over her shoulder, “there’s a hole in your wall right now?”

“No,” you shake your head, “Markus had the cleanup crew out here, like I said on the phone earlier.”

“They did really well,” Goro agrees, leaning back against the cushions and draping his arm across the back.

You lean forward slightly to avoid his arm potentially wrapping around your shoulder, feeling … unsure… about how to act with him at the moment, especially in front of V. Things had taken a drastic, unexpected turn earlier, and you needed time to process that, maybe talk about it with him first before even considering letting V in on any potential happenings between he and you.

Who knows what she would say if you were openly affectionate, if she knew what she had interrupted?

“So, the ‘Saka scum got what was coming to them, then?”

You raise a brow at her, “you never cared for the corporations, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard you call them ‘scum’ necessarily.”

“Ah,” she waves her hand in vague dismissal, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees as he taps a single finger along her temple, “Johnny’s verbiage seeping into my vocabulary I guess.”

“That would make sense,” you nod, head tilting briefly before meeting her eyes again, “considering who he was, but to answer your question: yes, the ones here were taken care of. However, that doesn’t negate the danger of more potentially showing up. For now,” you nod your head towards Goro without breaking current eye-contact with V, “they didn’t see or scan for him, so we have that to our advantage.”

“So, what’s the next move? Are we-“

Goro interrupts her, holding the bridge of his nose for a moment before glancing between the two of you, “there is no **_we_** in this situation… it is a problem for no one but myself, neither of you need involve yourselves any further.”

“That’s not how this works, you can’t just expect us to sit back and do nothing,” V throws her hands up, “hell, Goro, I’ve got a few months left at **_best_** , and you wanna tell me I can’t use that to help a friend when they need it?”

He softens at her use of the word ‘friend’, his eyes lowering to the floor before him as he shakes his head, “I cannot allow either of you to put yourselves in harms way, not for me.”

“That’s our decision to make,” she speaks your name in slight annoyance, motioning towards Goro with an exasperated hand, “back me up on this, will ya?”

“I understand your concern,” you meet his eyes, holding a hand up as he opens his mouth to protest, “however, I think you greatly underestimate the capability of both V and I, as well as the importance of having people to help you in situations like these.”

His jaw clenches a few times, the muscle around his cyberware flexing as he mulls over whatever may be swirling around in his head, choosing his words carefully while glancing between you and V warily.

With clear reluctance, he gives a curt nod, “I will try to be open to the idea of help, but hope to not need it…”

V rolls her eyes, “stubborn as ever. Trust me when I say it’s better for you to just agree and let it happen, we’re helping whether you like it or not, so being okay with it just makes things go a lot smoother.”

He relents in a soft chuckle, earning a smile from both you and V in return.

“So,” she leans back in the chair with a flopping motion, slapping her hands on her knees with a large grin, “how bad did you get hurt?”

“V…” you groan, closing your eyes and rolling your head to the side in exhaustion, remembering how infuriating she could be when she wanted to.

“C’mon,” she presses, her grin growing broader as you meet her eyes again, “you’re fine now, right? What’s the harm in giving the detes?”

Goro attempts to dissuade her as well, “I really do not think-”

“I got shot,” you give in, knowing it to be a futile endeavor, “almost bled out before Goro came in and cleaned me up. There,” you drag your hand through the air to emphasize the end of the story, “can we move on now?”

She grows quiet, her smile having faded, Goro’s demeanor having stiffened beside you as well.

“I didn’t think it was that bad…” she mutters.

“I’m fine,” you shrug, straightening your posture with a deep breath, “like you said, that’s what matters.”

V excuses herself to the bathroom while you place an order for food, choosing from one of the upscale restaurants near your own home rather than any of the fast-food places V had suggested.

A light touch to your shoulder startles you, bringing your attention back as you look over to meet Goro’s eyes, his brows knitted together as he shifts to sit closer.

“I do not wish to see you hurt again,” he mutters, keeping his voice low even though V is currently down the long hallway and out of earshot.

You shake your head with a soft sigh, opening your mouth to protest, to reassure him that things would turn out fine, but he leans in closer, one arm still along the back of the couch as his other hand caresses your face. He leans in until his face is inches from yours, eyes boring into you as his thumb gently strokes along your cheek.

“Promise me,” he shakes his head briefly when you attempt to open your mouth again, “promise me that you will not put yourself in harms way like that again.”

Another sigh is your silent response, coupled with a shallow nod, knowing any protest to be in vain and wanting to give him some sense of comfort regardless.

He smiles softly before leaning in to capture your lips in a gentle kiss, steadily growing deeper as you raise your hand to grip his wrist.

The heat from earlier returning to light a renewed fire in your chest, reminding you that there was still much to be discussed later… when the two of you were afforded alone time once more.

Another reminder flashes through your mind, becoming acutely aware that you still had company as the sound of a door opening at the end of the hallway pricks your ears.

Goro notices as well, parting reluctantly, tucking his knuckles under your chin to tilt your head up slightly as he lifts his thumb to ghost over your bottom lip, his eyes lingering there before offering a small smile that warms his eyes. He drops his hand, scooting away a bit and running a hand up to tidy a few loose strands back into his bun just as V reenters the living room.

“What’s the ETA on food?” she smiles, flopping down in the chair again, “I’m starved.”


	18. Pillow Fight

** V POV: **

I splash my face with water from the sink, letting out a shaky breath and leaning over with my hands at the edges, my eyes slowly trailing up to look in the mirror.

Johnny leans casually against the wall near the door, his arms crossed, staring right back at me from behind those sunglasses – guy could at least take them off when we’re inside.

_“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”_ He tilts his head, waiting for my response.

_“Not now Johnny…”_ I close my eyes and lean over the sink again, thinking I might actually vomit this time, but it passes. _“I can’t think straight right now, so I definitely don’t need you fucking with me even more.”_

_“Not fuckin’ with you,” he_ pushes off from the wall, making his way slowly over towards me, each step like an emphasis as he speaks, _“Goro… he’s bad news for our girl in there.”_

_“Johnny… I said not n-“_

_“She almost died, V!”_ His voice grows louder, making me flinch and glance to the door even though he’s entirely in my own head, the reflex automatic before I meet his gaze again, but he presses on before I get a chance to speak, _“him just being here almost got her killed already. Who knows what could happen if he stays longer? What if he’s here a month? Several months? Hell, what if I’m right and ‘Saka scum has a thing for our girl, gets all smitten even, decides to stay indefinitely? What then, V?”_

_“I highly doubt-“_

_“But what if he does?”_ He leans in close, his own hands resting along the counter, both of us staring through the mirror rather than directly at each other, _“Whether he gets her killed, or just decides she’s a little slice of somethin’ special, it’s a problem. Either way, we ain’t lettin’ no ‘Saka soldier take our girl from us, not while I’m still kickin’ around in your head,”_ he pokes a finger lightly to my temple for flare, driving the point home.

_“Johnny,”_ I sigh, shaking my head, _“she’s not mine to claim, and definitely not **ours**. She’s like family, yes, but that doesn’t mean I get to decide what she does or doesn’t do. We **both** wanna help, Goro; he’s good people.”_

_“Good people?”_ He rolls his eyes, scoffing incredulously, _“we’ve had this talk before, V… Pretty eyes don’t win me over, he’s always gonna be ‘Saka, whether he tries to run from it or not. Doesn’t change what he did, who he was; **still** is.”_

_“They get along pretty well,”_ I remind him, _“you care about her so much, would you really wanna take that away from her? I haven’t been the best of friends lately, and I don’t exactly have much time to make up for it… Don’t you wanna know there’ll be someone here looking after her when we’re gone? That she’ll have a friend left to-“_

_“To what, V?”_ He pushes away from the counter rather dramatically, throwing his hands up _, “to woo her off her feet, convert her to ‘Saka too? Or maybe just get her killed trying to protect him? How would that feel, V? How would it be to see your friend die before you do?”_

_“The hell is your problem, Johnny?”_ I have to remind myself not to talk out loud, nearly yelling in my own head, throwing my words at him like knives, _“you never liked Goro, I get that, but this is something else… What’s really going on?”_

_“We share a goddamn brain, V,”_ he shakes his head, _“you tellin’ me you really can’t see it already?”_

_“I honestly don’t know what to think,”_ I admit, my voice lowering to a light mutter, _“I… I got a lotta shit swirling around, hard to tell what belongs to who sometimes… gets all… mixed up…”_

_“How the fuck do you think I feel?”_ He folds his arms across his chest again, sighing as he paces back and forth slowly, _“I gotta sit here and watch some ‘Saka scum fawning over some beautiful woman he doesn’t deserve in the slightest, all while feeling like she’s my best friend when I don’t even know her, and having your fucked up confused ass attraction to both of them – that’s a lot of shit to fuckin’ process V.”_

_“I’m not attracted to her like that,”_ I furrow my brows, _“that’s all you, Johnny, ‘gonna have to ask you to stop perving on my sister like that though. I don’t want that shit seeping into my thoughts too, got enough to worry about already.”_

_“Either way,”_ he pauses, moving to stand directly in front of me, _“we gotta protect her, gotta get her away from him.”_

_“I disagree.”_

He throws his hands up again, groaning in exasperation, _“you’re impossible! You know that?”_

_“Yeah, I’ve heard that one a time or two.”_

_“So,”_ he sighs, smoking a cig out of habit, his agitation growing by the second _, “what now then? We go out there and act like everything’s fine?”_

_“Everything **is** fine, Johnny,”_ I move towards the door _, “will be anyway.”_

_“You sayin’ you got a plan?”_

_“Got a few ideas,”_ I shrug, _“might run ‘em by her later tonight, after Goro goes to sleep. ‘Gonna see about a sleep over, for old times sake, get the detes on what she’s been up to while I’m at it.”_

_“Braid each other’s hair too?”_

_“If you’re hoping to cash in on some pillow fight show,”_ I roll my eyes, and throw the door open, making my way into the hall, _“you’re ‘gonna be sorely disappointed, Johnny ‘ole pal.”_

_“C’mon, V,” he chuckles, “I wasn’t thinkin’ that.”_

I eye him suspiciously.

_“But now that you mention it…”_

_“No, Johnny.”_

I plaster a wide grin across my face, a bounce in my step as I return to the living room, finding them both still on the couch, though somewhat closer together… Or maybe I’m imagining things, got too worked up by Johnny most likely.

Plopping myself down in the chair again, I perk up, remembering she had ordered some preem food, “What’s the ETA on food? I’m starved.”

Delivery arrives soon enough, perfect timing answering my question before she even has to.

We make small talk while we eat, share some laughs, smile all around. I just wait for my moment to announce that I’m stayin’ the night, but it doesn’t seem to be coming around on its own. Gotta just work it in however I can.

“So,” I lean back, feeling my pants tighten around my midsection, full from the admittedly amazing food that reminds me why they prefer this stuff over the usual kibble I tend to snag from street stalls, “how ‘bout a girl’s night tonight? We need to catch up anyway.”

She and Goro both seem to stiffen simultaneously, Johnny phasing in to sit on the chair’s armrest next to me, _“they don’t seem too happy about that, V. Ruining their chance for alone time? Maybe they’re further along than I thought.”_

I ignore him.

“Sure,” she shrugs, casually motioning one of her hands, “your old room is-“

“Actually,” I lean forward again, honestly feeling a little giddy at the thought of spending time together like this again, “I was thinkin’ maybe we go more slumber party style: popcorn, movies, stayin’ up late and talking about old times in that massive bed of yours.”

“Ah,” she falters again, but keeps her composure, something flashes behind her eyes that I can’t quite make out… maybe she’s still pissed at me for bailing, or maybe Johnny is more right than I’d like to admit… “that honestly sounds great, V.”

She offers a genuine smile, but Goro seems all too preoccupied with the last bit of food on his plate, pushing it around with his fork as if deep in thought, his blank face giving away nothing.

“It’s settled then,” I clap my hands on my knees, grinning wildly like some street kid that just got offered a whole bag of eddies, “maybe we can even talk Goro into joining us? He’s got long enough hair, braiding could look nice on ‘em.”

This draws his attention, narrowing his eyes at me before a slight smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, “I believe I will find my own entertainment and leave you two to catch up.”

“Aw,” I feign a pout, “maybe next time, then.”

She giggles softly, drawing both mine and Goro’s attention, a soft smile warming his face and creating a sinking feeling in my chest.

Maybe Johnny **_IS_** right… maybe Goro does have a thing for her. Maybe I have a thing for him. Maybe I’m just worried about my friend.

I honestly can’t tell the true reason, my mind all levels of fucked up and needing to be sorted out, but something has me feeling like a slap to the face – like when your teenage crush asks to talk to you in private, but then just wants to tell you he has a thing for your best friend and wants you to hook them up…

Girl’s night might be more helpful than I thought, might help me work through some of this shit… She always helped me keep a level head before.


	19. Pleading With V

** Goro POV: **

I find myself alone in my room, the day having flown by rather quickly since we had woken so late and… been so preoccupied… before V showed up.

V, with her impeccable timing, as always.

With a sigh, I lean back on the bed, knitting my fingers together behind my head as I stare up at the ceiling and wonder what they could possibly be up to. Were they really just watching movies? As V and mentioned she wanted to do? Catching up on old times?

Or, perhaps, had V simply grown suspicious of my intensions toward her longest friend.

A part of me feels as though I had betrayed my own friendship with V… but, my emotions cannot be helped. I had thought I may be able to quell them, to stow them beneath the surface and ignore them until such a time when they were repressed past recognition. However, when it became apparent that my affections may potentially be not only welcomed but returned, all hope of self-control had dissolved entirely.

I truly never intended to find any attraction in V’s friend, assuming them to be too alike for me to harbor any romantic interest, not to mention the more pressing matters at hand such as the life crisis I am already undertaking without adding a very beautiful young woman to the equation.

Life has a funny way of giving you what you need, rather than what you want or expect.

I… had not felt this flicker of happiness in a long time… perhaps since I was a young boy with no real obligations and only oversized dreams to keep my time. The potential to choose what I wanted, to plot my own course, and even be accepted for all I am in spite of what I had done in my past… the sensation is overwhelming, but not unwelcome.

Obviously, I had hoped to speak to her on this, to clarify my intentions before continuing forward after V had left. But V’s decision to stay had put a damper on that… forcing me to postpone the conversation.

Though, to be honest, this may turn out to be a positive turn of events. I now had time to think on my words, choose them carefully, compose a proper structure for what I really wanted to say and how to convey myself.

This could potentially be in my favor, allowing me to avoid too many blunders or too frequently needing to pause, which would undoubtedly leave me flustered and agitated rather than calm and collected.

Yes.

I believe this time could be used to benefit me. There is always tomorrow for conversation.

V will leave eventually, and I will have my opportunity to discuss what had happened.

While I admittedly have a small churning in my stomach, a hint of nervous uncertainty in regards to what she may say, I find myself oddly optimistic. She could turn me down, could say it was a mistake. But the alternative is too appealing to avoid the risk.

She may very well feel as I do.

Moving to my feet once more, I rummage through my things to find a notepad, opting to use more traditional means to arrange my thoughts.

Having nothing but time on my hands, and still reeling too much from this morning to even consider turning in early, I get to work jotting down whatever comes to mind.

I’ll get it straight later, make it flow, get everything making sense.

For now, I just needed to get it out and make sense of it for myself first.

** Your POV: **

V flops down on your bed, having just showered and put on some of your oversized pajamas for a comfortable but somewhat cliché ‘slumber party vibe’ as she had called it.

While you definitely had other plans for the evening, hoping to talk with Goro and clear the air, get a few things straight before potentially continuing what you had unexpectedly started… you have to admit, having V over like this is nice…

You had missed her desperately, wanted to make amends with her countless times, but regretfully let your pride get in the way of being the first to break radio silence by calling her to apologize. Both of you had said things back then, but you should have just called her. Who knows where she would be if you had… she may even have avoided this entire situation, avoided this death sentence…

A sliver of hope remains in your heart though, believing that everything happens for a reason, and having a strange intuition that Goro’s presence may have something to do with it. Afterall, you never would have met if it hadn’t been for V’s ‘situation’.

Perhaps, with some convincing, she would give in to your pleading and allow herself to be examined by the medical team at your company. They weren’t Arasaka, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’d actually be able to do something…

For now, you’d have to indulge her giddy side, finding classic movies to watch and finding yourself laughing until tears streamed your face uncontrollably.

You had missed this…

Missed her.

Missed this side of yourself.

It had been so long…

Some time passes, and several movies later the snacks seem to have disappeared.

“Alright,” she grabs the tv control from you, using the manual pad rather than hooking up to interface remotely, “I’ll pick the next movie, you go make some popcorn!”

With a playful grin you nod and throw your legs over the bed, the house feeling slightly chilly after having been wrapped up in the blankets for so long. Your choice of shorts and oversized shirt may have been comfortable to begin with, but you might adjust the air on your way to the kitchen.

“Be right back,” you call over your shoulder, closing the door behind you and padding towards the kitchen, your body having thankfully adjusted to the temperature by the time you grab the popcorn bags from your pantry.

The sound of the kernels splitting open and flying around in the confines of their packaging distracts you, masking any potential to hear someone coming as you lean against the kitchen counter, your back to the doorway.

“V run out of snacks already?”

Goro’s voice startles you, jumping slightly before turning to find him moving toward the fridge. His shirtless state surprises you, having known him to generally put on a casual t-shirt before walking around the house at night. Perhaps he wasn’t expecting to run into either of you during his own kitchen raid, or perhaps he was simply growing more comfortable with his living situation.

Either way, you practically have to rip your eyes away from the v-line tucked along the edge of his sweatpants as he opens the fridge, the light accentuating his muscles and leaving your throat dry.

The urge to touch him had been immense before, but was now amplified tenfold after the happenings of this morning. Knowing he wouldn’t turn you away, that he would accept your advances only made him that much more appealing. Knowing what it felt like to run your hands along his toned frame…

You swallow thickly and offer a soft smile while returning your gaze to the popcorn, “she’s a needy one.”

“So I’ve noticed,” he chuckles, seeming to have found what he was searching for as he closes the fridge with a tupperware in hand, “how is your evening going?”

You glance over to find him with his hip leaned against the counter, bright eyes boring into you as always, though seeming warmer when accompanied with his subtle grin.

“Well, actually,” you shrug and pluck the popcorn bags from the microwave, transferring their contents to separate bowls, one for you and one for V, “it’s nice seeing her again, I missed having her around like this. It might not make sense, or may just sound silly but…” you pause briefly, smiling to yourself before meeting his eyes again, “she reminds me to have fun. I think I’ve needed that.”

His smile broadens slightly, his eyes softening, “I can understand that more than you may think, as someone who devoted his life entirely to his career.”

“I suppose that’s true,” you tilt your head, quirking your brow, “I’ve really only known you since you left Arasaka, it’s a bit strange to think of you any other way.”

He chuckles, “I think I prefer it this way, to have met you now, rather than to have you see me as I was.”

“We all have pasts, Goro, done stuff we may regret, but at the end of the day that’s what made us into who we are now.”

“A fair point,” he nods, his eyes darting to your lips briefly as his brows somewhat furrow, “about earlier… I wanted to-“

“Hey!” V’s voice calls out, startling the both of you and interrupting Goro mid-sentence, “what’s taking so long on that popc-“ she stops dead in her tracks as she rounds the corner, coming into view and pointing a finger in Goro’s direction, “you’re shirtless.”

“Ah,” he chuckles, “your observations are astute, as per usual, V.”

“I just- I mean- I’ve never- You never-“ she stammers on for a moment before clearing her throat and turning her attention to you, “does he always walk around like this? How do you get anything done?”

You roll your eyes and move to hand her one of the bowls, “he lives here now, V, let the man get a late-night snack in peace.”

“Hey,” she holds her hands up defensively, “I wasn’t complainin’, just sayin’ it’s weird seein’ him so casual.”

He chuckles again as you usher V back towards the door, leading her away to return to your room for more movies.

“Goodnight, Goro,” you call over your shoulder.

“G’night!” V calls out.

“Enjoy your evening,” he smiles in response, his eyes softening as they meet yours one last time before you pad out into the hallway.

V flops back onto the bed, bouncing slightly before getting situated, “so, Goro’s secretly a hunk under all those button up shirts?”

“Were you ogling, V?” You smirk in her direction, jesting playfully as you slip into bed next to her and situate yourself to sit crisscross with your large bowl of popcorn.

“Can’t be helped, really,” she shrugs, nudging your arm, “kinda jealous you get to have him living here, would be interesting seeing that walk around the house in the middle of the night.”

“I told him to make himself comfortable,” you take a small bite of popcorn, leaning back against your propped-up pillows as V starts the movie, “I’m honestly glad he seems to be settling in.”

“Yeah,” he nudges you again, “really livens up the scenery around here.”

“V,” you groan, rolling your eyes again, “can we just enjoy the movie?”

“Alright, alright,” she tosses a handful of popcorn into her mouth, speaking through it as she chews with stuffed cheeks, “just sayin’, you two would be, like, the ultimate couple. You really suit each other.”

“Not really the topic I was expecting for the night,” you quirk a brow her direction, “you starting to think you might have a thing for him?”

V ponders for a moment, shoving another fist of popcorn into her mouth and chewing thoroughly before speaking again, “he’s attractive, for sure, but between my whole ‘I’m dying’ situation, and Johnny being in my head, not to mention not remotely being on Goro’s radar for that sorta thing… I think I’m just asking if **_you_** might be into him. I think you two might actually be good together, as much as Johnny disagrees,” she pauses again, her eyes seeming somewhat reluctant to meet your eyes, a bit of water gathering in the corners, “I’d like to think you could be there for each other when I… ya know… when I’m not around anymore.”

“V…” you feel your shoulders delate, your entire body slumping slightly as a dull ache starts in your chest, your arms finding their way around her and pulling her close, “please let me help you, let me take you to our clinic, let them see what they can find. It wouldn’t be like with Arasaka… I promise you, if at any time you want to leave or feel like it’s too much you can walk out.”

She leans back slightly, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, “I don’t think it’ll help, there’s nothing they can tell me that Arasaka didn’t already try to-“

“V,” you grip her face in your hands, forcing her to hold your gaze, “it couldn’t hurt to try, could it?”


	20. I Hate Mondays - Garfield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize now that in my intro to the story I may have been a bit vague, I wanna clarify that this story is an AU - alternate universe - where I've made my own ending because I genuinely felt disappointed with the in game endings, especially regarding Goro either being murdered, going back to Arasaka, or killing himself (I didn't get this ending but I've read about it and it sounds awful). This story is an alternate ending where V tried to get Johnny removed, but it didn't work, so she opted to live out the remainder of her life on Earth, having a limited timeframe left but still having Johnny with her, and Goro opted to flee Arasaka rather than just seeming to give up on his life.  
> Personally, even though this is a bit of a stretch and more OC, I wanted to write something I felt would actually suit the characters and make me feel good, because Goro was set up to be such a great character and I feel like he was done really dirty in the end.

** Goro POV: **

V proves to be quite adept at inserting herself into conversation at the most inopportune moments… It is almost as if she possesses a radar, something going off in her head, alerting her to when exactly she should call or show up to best thwart any attempts at furthering this situation between myself and her friend.

Was she aware? Is this something done on purpose?

It seemed entirely coincidental, but with the accuracy of her timing, I begin to question … perhaps V is more in tune to the situation than she lets on. Though I’m not sure how, being as we only just ‘broke the ice’ so to speak, in regard to potentially moving past a simple but respectful friendship.

How could V possibly know already?

Maybe… I am more transparent than I would like to admit.

Maybe V was aware of my attraction from the moment she brought me here to introduce us.

I long thought V to be lacking in her environmental awareness, but as I find my way back to my room, leftovers in hand, I ponder the possibility that she had in fact already figured out the chemistry between us before we even allowed ourselves to consider it.

Even though I had not intended to run into her tonight, expecting it to be some time tomorrow before we were face to face once more, I had allowed myself to hope that perhaps we would be able to have a brief conversation that would clear the way for deeper analysis tomorrow.

Clearly, a futile attempt.

With a sigh, I unceremoniously shove the contents of the container into the microwave, knowing it to be a far inferior method of reheating, but not wanting to drag out too many pots and pans this late at night. The street food I had consumed during my initial exile with V had not killed me, so I am certain this will prove to be less than fatal.

I lean against the counter, mindlessly eating. The food is delicious, even leftover, she had done a wonderful job preparing the dish even though we were unable to fully enjoy it when the men from Arasaka had showed up – another problem I would need to think over…

My presence here may prove to be dangerous.

While I certainly to not want my stay to come to an end, especially given recent developments, I find myself considering whether it would be wise to continue putting her at risk.

I … I could not live with myself were anything to happen to her. Not again.

It had been difficult enough seeing her like that once… having to watch her blood run down the drain of my own shower after having been covered in it.

She means so much to me already, but I realize, as I had written countless pages in contemplation earlier, that I admittedly know very little about her life outside of this home.

We had discussed many things in my time here already, but most were to do with her past, her and V both seeming to purposefully leave out the details of her work life.

I had not thought much on this before, but now feel it to be a curious, gnawing, relentless thorn in the back of my mind. What exactly is it that she does for a living?

She has her own assistant.

A cleanup crew on call, apparently.

Though I had not seen her fight with my own eyes, she had taken down 5 Arasaka men on her own after being shot, with little other injury.

V had made it very clear that she was someone to be trusted from the beginning, but also alluded to feeling betrayed by her life choices. The house, the lifestyle, the connections… this all points to belonging to a corporation of some sort. But I find myself struggling to accept that as an answer.

Perhaps, she will tell me with time.

The more important matter at hand being whatever is stirring between us.

I feel somewhat selfish in placing importance on this above the rest, but V had always told me to start living for myself – this seems to be as good a time as any to do so.

Cleaning up after myself, I find my way over to the bed, lowering myself even as I have little hope in actually getting any sleep, my mind abuzz and unlikely to relent any time soon. With a glance over to my window I feel a soft smile grow across my face, the Japanese landscape a reminder of her kindness from day one; how she wormed her way into my heart so innocently and seemingly unintentionally.

Had she found me to be attractive from the start as well?

Or had I simply become intriguing as we spent more time together?

The smallest of details, that seem of little significance, but pique my interest regardless.

Is it my need for reassurance? Do I simply want to hear from her how she feels about me in return?

I crave openness with her, to be able to confess the depths of my feelings and to share what we think at any moment – something I had never been able to do before, nor had thought was something I needed.

Why did V have to intrude?

Why couldn’t I have a quiet evening with her discussing all of this together, curled up in front of her fireplace, exchanging soft kisses between confessions rather than being left to ponder on my own with no hope of receiving the answers any time soon.

I lean my head back against the headboard with a soft thud, closing my eyes with a long exhale.

I wanted to be with her again.

My impatience with V growing by the very second…

Knowing I have no choice but to wait, but feeling the frustration rise regardless, in more ways than one.

My mind drifts back to earlier, her hands tangling in my hair, her bare skin so soft against me as her body arched into mine, her eyes looking up at me with such desire as she uttered breathlessly that she wanted me.

I flop over to the side, shoving my face into the pillow and groaning softly in agitation, a single English phrase repeating in my thoughts:

Fuck you, V.

Fuck.

You.

** Your POV: **

Morning comes all too soon for your liking, the alarm seeming to go off almost as soon as you shut your eyes. Though you had gotten 3 or 4 hours, the time was only a blink to you as you reluctantly roll out of bed, careful not to wake V as you pad into the bathroom to dress for work.

You had a long day ahead of you, meetings planned, a building tour scheduled, several notes to revise with your security team regarding Goro’s input on your schematics, and the not so little incident of Arasaka hacking into and disabling your home system…

It was already looking to be a very long day, one that hadn’t even officially started yet.

With a sigh, you allow a quick glance to the mirror, straightening your work attire one last time and checking for bags under your eyes. You lean over, your hands at the edge of the counter, mind swirling with so many thoughts – none of which are work related.

Unfortunately, all you want to do is talk to Goro.

But… it would have to wait.

Hopefully this evening will prove to be better timing, if V were to leave while you’re at work. You’ve enjoyed her time here, smiling to yourself as you move past the bed where she still lay sprawled out, careful to be quiet in leaving the bedroom door, but you have so much you want to say to Goro – **_NEED_** to say to him.

A very long conversation is in store, and you hope he feels the same, but with his demeanor last night, you optimistically assume that he does.

You decide to send him a quick message as you leave the front door, hoping it doesn’t wake him, but not wanting to leave without saying goodbye either. Some part of you wishing you could have woken up to him next to you in bed, leaned over to kiss his cheek, and snuggled up to his warm embrace before leaving for work rather than a simple text left for him to read later.

This would have to be enough for now though.

For now…

Two small, simple words, but a very pleasant thought nonetheless… bringing another smile to your face as you get in your car, looking to the future possibilities of what may be in store.

You cast one last glance in your rearview mirror as you pull away from your home, a strange sensation filling you, knowing Goro lay asleep in your home, awaiting your return.

You had never felt so unwilling to go to work, so ready to be back home already.

Today would be a very, **_very_** long day…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying the story, and I'm excited to see what yall think as we progress through each chapter! I promise we will have a happy ending, but there will be some angst and blood/violence in the future. I will try to tag the individual chapters in the notes beforehand, so if any of that bothers you please keep an eye out :)


	21. Houston, We Have a Problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for being so patient, I missed uploading yesterday but today I will post 2 chapters, and tomorrow I will post another 2 chapters, that way we get caught up and everyone gets a little extra for a 'Thank You' :)  
> Hope you all enjoy!

** Goro POV: **

I wake earlier than intended, though apparently not early enough, as I find a message notification waiting from her.

_‘I have to go into work for a bit today, didn’t want to wake you or V. I’m not sure what her plans are for the day, but if she decides to stay until I get home, please try to be civil – I’d rather not call the clean up crew again ;)_

_See you soon,_

_XOXO’_

It’s simple, leaving little to read into, but I find myself smiling regardless. While I am saddened that she will not be here until later this evening, and that V has likely not left yet, I cannot deny the strange warmth swelling in my chest.

The way she worded things, both inconspicuous, and telling at the same time.

I hope to be right, that I am not just assuming or wishful thinking.

That she intended the xo’s at the bottom to make me feel this way… That she fully meant to imply she was eager to return home – to me.

I indulge in a long shower, using the time to think, an odd cliché that oftentimes proves to be true in that I step out of the water with a much clearer head; my thoughts feeling organized, a slight grin tugging up at my cheeks as I catch sight of my reflection.

It could be a long day, waiting for her to return home, but I remain hopeful… giddy even.

Though I have experienced much in my life, this is certainly a new sensation. One I hope we share. One that, while potentially dangerous, could certainly turn my life upside-down in the best possible way.

After dressing, I find myself in the kitchen, cooking breakfast and lost in thought, but my ears prick as V’s familiar noisy footsteps make their way down the hall.

“Good morning, V,” I call out as she rounds the corner, seeming to catch her off guard.

“How’d you know it was me??”

I glance over to her, seeing her messy and disoriented state, thought it seemed she had finally gotten a decent night of rest, “you have a very particular pattern of walking,” I return my attention to the stove, adding enough ingredients to accommodate a second serving, “it is hard to miss.”

She yawns and noisily pulls out one of the chairs, screeching it against the tile floor before flopping down and leaning her elbows against the table before her, “feel like you’re calling me loud, but it’s too early to give a fuck yet.”

I offer a soft chuckle in return, enjoying the silence that follows before setting a plate in front of her, taking my usual spot at the opposite end of the table. Admittedly, I find it strange to be sitting across from V, rather than my usual company. I do not dislike V, not on most days, but I would be lying if I said I did not have some resentment towards her at the current moment.

As far as I know, she had not done anything in malice, not intentionally interrupted nor stayed to prevent anything further. However, I cannot shake the wish for her to leave, the desire to provoke an argument perhaps in attempts to facilitate her early departure.

I hold my tongue, knowing all V had done for me and not wanting to damage our friendship… but the agitation grows with each hour ticking by.

Casual conversation flows here and there, banter quickly dying as my agitation becomes more and more difficult to hide. She picks up on it, certainly, as she seems to distance herself further as we progress into late afternoon, all but leaving me to my own devices by evening time.

Any hope I had harbored that V would leave… now scattered ashes blowing in the wind of defeat.

I feel ready to wave a white flag of surrender, to plead with V for even a moment of time alone with her dearest friend, to confess my intentions and hope for understanding in return.

But… I am not sure how the conversation will go, not sure if V should be made aware yet. This is, after all, part of what I intend to discuss – if the chance is ever afforded…

V would surely go home at some point.

Surely…

Perhaps after a dinner together?

Perhaps, as last time, she would part soon after the meal and we would stand together waving goodbye before closing the door and finally being alone.

I nearly release an audible groan of agitation as V’s steps sound again, interrupting my thoughts as I had pretended to study something on a tablet.

“So,” she drops her weight onto the couch next to me, peering over my shoulder at the building blueprints, “whatcha doin’ there?”

Her body seems to stiffen as I mutter her friend’s name, but I elect to ignore this for now, “she asked me to help go over a few security concerns for a building purchase. I wanted to make sure I did not miss anything.”

“Ah,” she glances down at the tablet briefly before looking back to me, her eyes boring into the side of my face as I slowly shift to return her gaze with a quirked brow, prompting her to go on with whatever she had come over to say, “I uh, just wanted to apologize for being so clingy. Johnny’s messin’ with my head somethin’ fierce lately, got me really worried about what happened the other night with… the uh… guys showing up, and whatnot…”

I nod softly, “I have been concerned over this as well, but I assure you it will not happen again, V, your friend will be safe if you both stay out of-“

“We’re not leaving you to deal with it on your own, Goro,” she turns to face me more fully, her arm draping across the back of the couch and leg brushing against mine, “trust me when I say she’s just as stubborn as me, if not more so, and I know she’d agree with me on this.”

I elect to temporarily ignore her posture, wanting to get the conversation over with, “then what is your concern, V? Be blunt if you must.”

She seems to chew at the inside of her lip briefly, “I’m not entirely sure… I can’t tell if it’s me or just Johnny’s thoughts making my head go fucky, but I…” she shifts uncomfortably, her eyes darting down briefly to my lips, “I think, maybe-“

“V,” I sigh, moving to place the tablet on the side table before meeting her eyes again.

I had intended to admit why I now felt so protective of her friend… Knowing of my own growing affections could pose no harm, and could lead to it being easier down the road, if and when we decided to inform her of any potential happenings between us. She would have time to react, to process, to be angry or protective now and get it out of her system – yell at me if she deemed it necessary, rather than argue with her friend about it.

Yes, I had made up my mind, found little fault with it and knew it to be a solid course of action.

However, V grabs my face, pressing her lips to my own before I have time to utter a single word.

I grip her shoulders, immediately pushing her off as I hastily stand from the couch.

“V,” I warn, holding a hand out as I take a step back, “do **_not_** do this.”

“Goro…” her shoulders slump slightly, “you can’t tell me you haven’t at least **_thought_** about it. All the shit we’ve been through together, saving each other’s lives even! I mean, you said it yourself, I’m one of the few people you can count on, right? That’s gotta mean something, that **_I’m_** the one you turned to when you had nothing else.”

She stands and takes a step closer, prompting me to take another backwards, “V, I can assure you, this is not what either of us wants. You are confused, I urge you to sit back down and forget this ever happened.”

“You don’t get it,” she runs a hand down over her face, seeming exasperated, “I’ve tried telling you before, but I’ve got nothing to lose now so I thought ‘fuck it I’ll just kiss him, then he’ll see’. But you don’t, do you? You oblivious fucking idiot.”

I furrow my brows, opening my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off.

“I fucking **_like_** you, Goro,” she throws her hands up unceremoniously, allowing them to flop back down at her sides, “I like you, and I can’t stop thinking about it since you came back.”


	22. New Things to Worry About

** Goro POV: **

She pauses, waiting for my response, but I simply shove my hands into my pockets and let out a slow sigh, genuinely left speechless. I am certain of my own feelings, but feel no joy in witnessing V’s breakdown, a guilt weighing heavy in my chest as her eyes begin to brim with water.

Nodding softly, she drops her eyes to the floor between us, letting out a shaky laugh, “you don’t feel it, do you?”

“I am afraid… that I do not, V.”

With a short sniffle, she looks up to meet my eyes again, her eyes seeming to dry as she accepts the answer in a surprising stride of understanding, “have you ever felt it?” her voice drops to almost a whisper, “ever actually allowed yourself to be vulnerable with someone? Care about someone? Romantically?”

I feel my jaw clench, suddenly questioning whether to tell her. Where before I had been certain, I now felt uneasy and worried. My general default being honesty… I can only nod and admit to that which is true, “yes, V… I assure you that I know what it feels like... But I must say, that I do not think you feel this for me, I think you are confused and grasping at straws here, you-“

“No,” she shakes her head, determination plain in her eyes, a subtle defiance coupled with an unfortunate air of defeat, “you can reject me, that’s fine, but don’t go tellin’ me how I do or don’t feel, Goro.”

“I am sorry…” I mutter, wanting to comfort her but not moving; I cannot risk unintentionally indulging her.

“Can you tell me about her?” She whispers, slowly sitting back down on the couch, her eyes reluctantly finding mine again before she continues, “the woman you loved? What was she like? Why aren’t you with her?”

“V,” I sigh, “I do not think this is an appropriate topic of-“

“Please…” her brows knit together, “I just wanna know, she must have been someone really great to get past all that outer layer bullshit you’ve got going on.”

She chuckles, clearly meaning to be playful and make light of the situation, but it brings a light sting regardless. Do I truly come across as cold? Is that why it took so long to read any connection between myself and her friend? Had I initially pushed her away unintentionally?

“Goro?” V’s voice snaps me back to reality, coaxing me to take a seat, albeit in the chair somewhat away from her…

“I honestly do not think this is a healthy discussion for us to have,” I glance over to her, seeing her lean forward with her elbows on her knees in strange anticipation, “especially given your current emotional state…”

“I can take it,” she offers a small smile and motions her hand vaguely between us, “reinforcing this friend-zone Goro, nothin’ better to do that than for you to talk about the chick you actually wanted.”

I watch her briefly, drumming my fingers along the armrest of the chair, debating how much to divulge and which parts to leave out… “I want to be clear, that I do not find you repulsive, V. I am, in fact, flattered, but … admiteddly… do not see you in a romantic light. My opinion of you changed drastically from when we first met, and I… tried to kill you,” she chuckles softly, nodding along in agreement, “but we are very different people, and we lead very different lifestyles. I can assure you, that even under different circumstances, even if my heart did not belong to another, you would not be happy with me nor I you.”

She seems to stiffen, her smile fading, “you… you said your heart belongs to someone.”

“Yes.” I give a curt nod, seeing the cogs turn in her brain as she processes the small but significant choice of wording I had used.

“As in… currently?

I nod again.

Her eyes fall to the floor, brows furrowing as she scoots to the edge of her seat, “like… right now?”

“Yes, V,” I see her grasping the situation, but repeating the same question in different words proves to get on my nerves anyway. Perhaps, I should just tell her… Rip the band-aid, as they say?

“Did you leave her in Japan?”

“No,” I sigh, leaning forward and somewhat mirroring her as I too scoot to the edge of my seat, “V… listen, I need to discuss something with you that-“

“Fuck,” she mutters, her eyes meeting mine again, “no way. No. Fucking. Way.”

I remain silent, assuming she had finally caught on.

“Johnny was fucking right,” she half scoffs, half laughs, shaking her head, “you **_do_** have a thing for her, I brought you here to get away and you go and fuckin’ fall for her?” She throws her hands up, cutting me off as I attempt to open my mouth, “do **_not_** try to downplay this, Goro. My best friend of all people. I knew you’d get along, but **_fuck_** …”

“V…”

“No,” she shakes her head, standing quickly and pacing back and forth as she practically rants in my general direction, only meeting my eyes occasionally, “I bring you here to get away, to **_hide_**. **_Not_** to shack up with my best friend behind my back. Does she even know? Have you told her? Are you two already a thing? Is she keeping this shit from me? Do you even know if she-“

“V,” I raise my voice somewhat intentionally, just wanting the incessant rambling to end and to bring the conversation back to civil ground, “I wanted to be honest with you, to tell you how I feel. Yes, I have unintentionally developed strong feelings for your friend… I apologize that this is unwelcomed news to you, and assure you that it was not meant to be hurtful. I have not fully expressed this to her yet, and have been waiting for the right time, but-“

“But I keep getting in your way,” she rolls her eyes, “Johnny fuckin’ had you pinned, Goro. He’s been whisperin’ in my ear about your little lovey eyes and stolen fuckin’ glances at her while I was over here convinced otherwise. Convinced you wouldn’t pull some stupid shit like that.”

“It was not intentional, V.”

“Intentional or not,” she stops pacing, hands on her hips as she glowers at me, “you picked her, just like everyone else. Little miss perfect getting everything she wants and leaving me to fuckin’ rot with nothin’ but some remnant of a long dead fuck-up in my head to keep me company,” she screws her eyes shut briefly before turning to yell at an empty space of wall at the opposite end of the room, “shut the fuck up, Johnny!”

“V,” I stand, intending to calm her down, her eyes brimming again as they fall on me, “I assure you, she cares about you greatly, and that she would never want to hurt or upset you. I did not want the conversation to go this way… but you needed to know, and I hope that you do not hold this against her. None of this is her fault, or anyone’s for that matter – it is simply how things are, and may come to be. Do you understand?”

She seems to soften slightly, sniffling again, “I know… I just… I don’t wanna lose her…”

“Lose her?” I tilt my head, “V… how would you possibly lose her?”

Shaking her head, she slowly sits on the couch, “there’s no way she rejects you, I’ve seen you together, know her well enough to know you’re her type… you’ll end up together, probably live happily ever after and forget I existed. Sure, you’ll have each other when I’m gone, which is great, but who wants a third wheel in the meantime?” She leans her head back against the couch cushions, slumping down slightly, “or… she gets killed trying to defend you from Arasaka thugs again, ‘cuz that’s the kinda person she is, and then we’re both fuckin’ miserable because we both lose the one fuckin’ person we actually care about.”

“V...” I reluctantly sit near her, still uncertain about our current boundaries after her actions and outburst, “I can assure you, I will happily hand myself over rather than risk any harm to her.”

“That’s the problem,” she shakes her head, making a point to shift up and meet my gaze, “you think you and I are the only self-sacrificing idiots running around this city? Think again… She already took a bullet for you, imagine what she’d do after you confess you’re in love with her.”

I cannot fathom losing her in such a way… cannot even allow myself to fully process the thought without my stomach churning, “I wouldn’t allow that to happen.”

V rolls her eyes, “they already found her once.”


	23. A Special Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doing 2 chapters again tonight, and then back to the regular schedule of one per day :)  
> Enjoy!

** Your POV: **

The day drags on even longer than you’d imagined, leaving you exhausted both mentally and physically, your body and mind left aching…. Craving one thing…

Your hot tub.

Even living relatively close to your office, the drive home helps you to wind down, to compartmentalize the happenings of the day and contemplate potential roads forward from here. Unfortunately, your head of security had to be fired, his incompetence coming to light following the events at your home and shedding an rather curious investigation into the integrity of the rest of his workings. For now, a trusted temporary replacement had stepped up to ensure things would run smoothly until someone could be found to take the position full-time.

Admittedly, one person came to mind… Goro, for obvious reasons. Though, you aren’t sure if he would be up to the task, if he’d enjoy going into such a similar line of work so soon – even if he’d be able to do so remotely to protect his identity. Along with many other things, you intend to bring this up in conversation tonight, having decided already to extend the offer in full.

Whether he accepted or not would hold no sway in your opinion of him, but you secretly hope he accepts, having found it to be rather thrilling to see him work. Even only seeing a small bit of his professional side in asking his help with the building blueprints, you had grown curious to see more, to learn more about his experience and maybe even learn from him.

This being something you had never truly shared with someone, even V not fully understanding the intricacies past her usual ‘guns blazing’ approach, you somewhat look forward to the chance to see him in action.

If he accepts…

In all honesty, him working remotely would do more than protect his identity, it would protect him from you as well. The memory of seeing him so deep in thought, entranced in the tablet as he switched into the mindset of his old training… oddly enticing.

Pulling into the driveway, you notice V’s car to be gone; bittersweet, but perhaps the first instance of good timing on her part.

Even with the plan being simple conversation, not having the energy for much else, you know it to be a sensitive topic that you aren’t quite ready to let V in on. Not just yet…

You still have to sort things out between the two of you first, then, maybe you would confide in her. She’s your best friend after all, your longest friend at that, even with your relationship still needing mending you want to restore the trust you once had for each other and extend a certain level of openness with her.

Goro is nowhere to be found as you enter your home. Slight disappointment weighing in your chest as you realize just how late you had arrived back from work… though unintentional, it had probably kept him up waiting for some time before he elected to retire to his room for the night.

It may have to be an short evening of solitude for you after all, not wanting to risk disturbing him with a message or call, much less a knock at his door, just in case he were already asleep. Anything you have to say could wait until tomorrow, if need be.

Instead, you change into a bikini and pad barefoot out the large sliding glass doors that mimic the surrounding windows at one side of your room, stepping onto the back patio the lines the entire back of your home and lowering yourself into the already heated hot tub. Luckily, remote access allowed you to set the temperature just right before you even parked your car in the garage.

Technology at its finest…

You lower yourself further, slouching slightly until you can lean the back of your head against the edge, feeling the water lap at your neck as the sound of the jets and bubbling water coupled with the heat itself soothe your frazzled nerves.

Something prickles along the edge of your subconscious, coaxing you to open your eyes and sit up, finding Goro to be standing nearby, his hands finding his pockets as he offers a gentle smile in greeting.

“I was just about to call you.”

“Sorry,” you smile in return, sitting up straight and electing to ignore his eyes darting briefly to your chest, though a slight smirk threatens to tug at the edge of your lips, “long workday. I didn’t intend to be so late coming home, but I had figured you already went to bed to be honest.”

“No,” he shakes his head, “I had a rather eventful day as well, leaving me a lot to think about. A busy mind is not conducive to sleep, I am afraid.”

“Fair enough,” you nod, raising a brow to him as you motion a hand along the surface of the water, “you’re welcome to join, by the way. I’m not sure if you feel like talking at this hour, but at the very least the soak would relax you enough to help you sleep.”

“I do not have a suit,” he shrugs, a faint blush whispering across his cheeks faintly before disappearing entirely.

“I have a spare, brand new,” you point to the still open doors to your room, “in the back of the closet, help yourself if you like.”

“Why do you have spare swimwear?” He tilts his head, quirking a brow slightly but taking steps towards the room regardless.

“It’s useful,” you shrug, “V always invited extra people back in the day, just developed the habit of keeping a few extra around just in case.”

“Ah,” he seems to grow quiet at the mention of V, surely annoyed with her continuous interruptions, not that you can blame him, “I will return promptly, excuse me for a moment.”

You sink back into the water, feeling stress melt away as the water again laps along the edge of your jaw and up the back of your neck. Sure enough, your ears prickle with the sound of Goro’s feet padding along the concrete only a moment later.

Sitting up again, you intend to be polite in greeting him upon his entry into the hot tub, not wanting to remain slouched with your eyes closed or to ignore him. But, as his abs contract against the steaming water, the muscles of his arms flexing while lowering himself in to be slowly swallowed by the liquid, you find a heat growing that certainly is not from the tub.

He glances over to you, his upper chest and shoulders still above the water, his arms spreading across the rim as he gradually relaxes and leans back, “this is quite nice.”

“Isn’t it?” you manage to speak without giving away your drying throat, swallowing thickly before averting your eyes and concentrating on the water, the stars, the night air – literally anything but the incredibly handsome man across from you.

“I am sure you had a very long day,” he speaks up, drawing your attention as you meet his eyes, “but if you are up for it, I do feel we are overdue for a conversation, yes?”


	24. The Bun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand this isn't an image of Goro or something edited to remotely look like him, but I didn't have the time to do the image manipulation myself and I think we all need more shirtless Goro images running around in our brains - we definitely don't have enough as it is, right? Lol  
> Let's all agree though... Goro has gotta be in amazing shape under those button-up shirts with that job title.

“I agree,” you sit up straighter, more habit than anything, a light blush warming your cheeks as his eyes again dart briefly to your chest before refocusing on your eyes.

“I have a few things I would like to discuss, actually,” he clears his throat, a blush of his own slightly more noticeable as he hesitantly seems to choose his words, “about… what happened… between us, I mean.”

You nod softly, offering only a small smile in response, waiting for him to continue.

“I first would like to ask, before continuing, if you regret any part of it?”

“No,” you shake your head, immediately seeing the relief in his eyes but feeling the need to ask the same of him in return regardless, “do you?”

“Perhaps only in that I did not see the signs sooner,” he smirks, though his eyes remain soft, glancing back and forth between yours, “I must admit, I had thought any such action from me would be most unwelcomed, if not detrimental to your opinion of me and my intentions here.”

“Really?” you tilt your head, finding your brows knitted in curiosity, “you thought I’d reject you? Why?”

He chuckles softly, “I am an aging and weathered man, a man now without a country, with little if anything to offer,” you open your mouth to speak but he continues on, “you, however, are a beautiful young woman with a promising and bright future of many doors, and I am sure your choice of suitors waiting for their chance to earn even a moment of your time.”

You can’t help the admittedly flirty giggle that escapes your lips, though having an air of a humorous chuckle behind it, “Goro, for the last time, you’re not some rickety old man… I’d say you’re mature, experienced, knowledgeable, resourceful, and,” you smirk slightly at his growing smile, ending with a perhaps over the top compliment but meaning it to be entirely genuine, “not to mention you’re a complete fox.”

“A fox?” he quirks a brow, a short laugh parting his lips as his grin broadens, “and what, in this instance, does being a fox imply?”

“There’s a sort of tier of attractive men,” you move your hands in step motions, one above the other as you explain, mostly bullshitting your way through but getting the point across anyway, “there’s cute, really attractive, handsome, incredibly handsome, a fox, and then top-tier which is where you’re at is the ever elusive ‘silver fox’.”

“Ah,” he leans forward slightly, running his hands back through his hair with a now full but crooked smirk, and air of cockiness about him that suits him surprisingly well, “so being older, with graying hair, is a good thing in this scenario?”

“Only when you look like that,” you motion to…well… all of him really.

He chuckles, averting his eyes as the blush along his cheeks deepen, seeming to think to himself briefly before returning his gaze to yours, “I am deeply flattered to know you see me this way, I am… admittedly… not accustomed to thinking of myself in that manner. Though, I must say I cannot begin to fathom words to describe the way I see you.”

His eyes darken slightly, causing your breath to hitch if only for a moment, but seeming to go unnoticed by him. He shifts closer, sitting beside you, one arm draped behind your back as the other moves to tuck his knuckle below your chin, tilting your head up to meet his eyes.

“Entrancing, perhaps?” he leans in closer, his eyes lowering to your lips, lingering there, “captivating?” closer, his eyes finding yours again, his voice lowering, “beautiful…”

His lips find yours, moving slowly at first, his hand sliding along your jaw to rest along the side of your neck, his fingers tucking along the back to pull you in and deepen the kiss.

You let out a soft whimper as his tongue trails along yours, one of your hands moving up to find his bare chest, feeling his heart pounding and knowing your own to be doing the same.

He leans across you slightly, the kiss growing steadily hungrier with each passing second.

You slide your hands up to his shoulders, pushing him back, earning a questioning rise of his brow, “are you alright?”

Rather than respond verbally, you grip his shoulders for stability and shift to straddle him, his hands immediately finding your hips and his chest rises and falls in a deep but shaky breath.

He mutters your name, sliding one hand up along your side, over your chest, slowly caressing up the front of your throat to coax your head back as you arch into him reflexively, his lips ghosting along the skin near your collarbone as he releases another shaky breath.

A soft moan parts your lips, his grip finding the back of your neck to pull your lips toward his again, crashing together with a groan of his own.

You arch against him again, feeling your bare skin against his as his hands wander along every exposed inch, holding you flush against him as you grind your body against him, earning a deeper groan in response.

He breathes your name, gripping your hips and holding you in place, keeping you from grinding again as you bite your bottom lip, meeting his eyes and holding back the whimper his gaze alone threatens to coax from you.

You bring your hands up, dragging your nails slowly back through his hair, his eyes shutting as he exhales, his grip on your hips tightening as his own roll up against you.

He shifts, one arm wrapping around your back before he stands, water cascading off both of you as he exits the hot tub with your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.

The wall is at your back before you can even question him, his lips finding the side of your neck as his hips roll again, sending you into a fit of moans and whimpers that only seem to fuel him further.

His lips crash onto yours again, messier this time, needier as he groans at one of your hands tangling in the back of his hair.

The wall is gone just as quick, a slight smirk felt on his lips through the kiss as he takes several steps before he seems to kneel, parting from you just enough to lightly drop you on the bed.

His chest heaves, water droplets still sliding down his entire body as he runs a hand back through his now messy hair barely kept back by what must be the world’s most stubborn and committed bun… His eyes rake over you as he shifts his weight to bring his other knee onto the bed, one of his hands sliding up your calf slowly before both cup along the back of your knees and pull you towards him.

You bite your lip again, looking up at him as he slowly leans over you, your legs instantly wrapping around his waist as one of his arms situates alongside your head to hold his weight, the other moving lower to allow his hand to feel along your thigh as he lightly grinds his entire body against yours.

“Goro…” you moan his name, albeit softly, but his entire chest heaves with a deep and shaky breath.

He utters your name in return, his lips ghosting along your jaw, his facial hair tickling as he grazes his teeth gently over the sensitive skin at the crook of your neck, earning another moan from you.

You grip his hair, tugging lightly, meaning only to coax him into meeting your eyes again so you could capture his lips once more. As he lifts, his gaze finding yours, his eyes blown wide with desire and lips slightly parted, his hair slowly falls around his face, the bun seeming to have finally given way.

He runs a hand back through it, forcing it to one side before crashing his lips onto yours, his hand moving down to hook along your knee, hitching your legs up further along his waist as he again grinds his entire body, eliciting a mix of noises from both of you.

Lifting slightly, his lips hovering just above yours, breathing ragged and uneven as he mutters, “turn your phone off.”

You smirk in response, quickly doing just that, seeing his own eyes flash red briefly before returning to normal to glance back and forth between yours as one of his hands gently caresses your face.

“You are so beautiful,” he breathes, his thumb trailing slowly over your bottom lip before he again presses into a kiss.

His lips move slower, more gentle this time, but you run a hand up along the back of his neck, feeling the metal turn into skin and then hair, gripping slightly and giving a gentle tug as you deepen the kiss.

He groans into your mouth, his hips rolling immediately as you smirk against his lips. Tugging again, a little harder, seems to earn a shaky breath and his entire body grinding against yours.

Interesting…

You slide your other hand up into his hair, giving a third tug now using both hands to grip at the back of his head.

His lips part from yours in a low groan, his jaw clenching as his eyes meet yours, muttering your name under his breath as if in slight warning.

Biting your bottom lip, and without breaking eye contact, you tug again, watching as his eyes seem to roll back as they shut, his chest heaving as he grinds again.

Before you can continue your torment, you find your hands pinned above your head, both wrists held in place easily by one of his.

His eyes rake over your body, seeming to notice the extra perk of your breasts given the current positioning as he uses his free hand to lightly tug the string of your bikini top…


	25. Shall I Prove It To You

You wriggle slightly, struggling half-heartedly against his grip as his lips find yours again, your bikini top tossed across the room somewhere before his hand slides up your bare skin to lightly squeeze your breast, eliciting a soft moan from you.

Your entire body aches, burns for him, each inch of your skin ablaze and throbbing, needing his touch and wanting more even as he groans into your mouth and rolls his hips.

He mutters your name, his lips ghosting along yours teasingly as he struggles to steady his breathing, “if we continue, I do not believe I can control myself… If you want to stop, now is-“

“No,” you tighten your legs around his waist, using this as leverage to roll your hips up against him since your hands are still pinned, “Goro… I want you so bad…”

His eyes shut as you all but moan his name, his own hips grinding when you say that you want him, his breath hitching in his chest before releasing shakily… To see how you affect him, to watch him struggle with self-restraint like this… honestly makes you want to push him over the edge that much more, not only for your own desire, but to see what Goro is like when he really lets go.

Your heart nearly skips a beat as his lips find your neck, his free hand trailing down to slowly pull the string at the edge of your bikini bottoms. A soft whimper parts your lips, your back arching against him in anticipation as he seems to hold his own breath, taking advantage of the nature of string bikinis to toss them aside without ever having to lift his weight from between your legs.

His hand finds your thigh, sliding upwards, hesitating where the bikini had previously covered along your hip, lightly grazing his teeth along your neck as he releases a deep breath. Almost as if it was working him up even more than you, he lets out a soft groan, his breath hot along your jaw as his fingers finally find where you need them to be.

He mutters something you don’t quite catch, but it must have been in Japanese as your auto-translator picks it up, flashing blue words along your peripheral, “so wet already…”

You can’t help but whimper, his fingers moving slow, but with purpose as your head digs back into the bed beneath you with a longer, breathy moan parting your lips.

His other hand grips your wrists tighter, his chest heaving with another shaky breath as he slowly slides one finger in and out before returning to stroke along your folds.

Another whimper sounds from you, impatience growing as your back arches, “Goro, please…”

He groans against your neck, sliding his finger back in and curling this time, making you moan louder before he lifts just enough to meet your eyes, watching you as his fingers return to teasing you, “please what?”

“Please…” you whimper again, struggling against his grip, feeling as if your entire body would explode if you couldn’t have him soon, every inch, every fiber of your being screaming in unison with how bad you want him.

A subtle, sly smirk briefly graces his features, telling you he knows exactly what he’s doing and is enjoying watching you all too much to give in that easily.

But you’ve had enough.

You break free from his hand, quickly moving yours to his chest and rolling with him in one swift movement, his eyes giving away his surprise as his back meets the bed with you on top of him.

It only worked because you caught him off guard, but the grin broadening across his face as his hands find your hips and slide up along your back, the soft chuckle sounding in his chest… oh, he definitely liked the surprise.

You lean over him, grinding your body along his as his hands grip you tighter, his eyes clenching shut with a soft groan when one of your hands moves up to tangle in his hair.

As much as you wanted him, it felt only fair that you have a turn at teasing… in fact, it crosses your mind that it may be much more fun to break him now rather than allowing your own impatience to get in the way. To see him lose control, especially during your first time together, could be… exciting to say the least.

You trail kisses down his chest, suddenly realizing the downside to his cyberware – the lack of neck and jaw space to kiss or nip at. It doesn’t seem to detract from your plan though, his abs contracting with a shaky breath as you lightly graze your teeth along his v-line, tugging the swim trunks down just enough to lick painfully close and earning a deep groan from him.

You glance up, expecting to meet his eyes, but finding his head dug back against the bed, his hands covering his face before moving up to tangle in his own hair, his eyes screwing shut and chest again heaving with the release of another groan as you lick along the other side.

With a coy grin, leaning towards a smirk, you kiss and nip your way back up, sadly passing up the metal of his neck before lightly biting one earlobe. You let out a soft moan as it slowly slides out from between your teeth, his hands moving to the small of your back to pull you flush down against him while one of your own hands slides up into his hair.

He nearly squirms beneath you, one of his hands moving to your hip and holding you in place as he rolls his hips up, coaxing another soft moan into his ear and a tug of his hair which only initiates a deep groan from him.

You shift again, kissing him slowly, trailing your tongue along his before moving both hands into his hair and giving a light tug.

His entire body tenses, his fingers digging against your hip before releasing a drawn-out groan, his heart throbbing through every inch of his body.

You part just enough to meet his eyes, seeing them blown wide with desire, breathing your name in a half moan, almost hissing with a sharp inhale as you tug his hair yet again.

That seems to be the final straw.

The bed is at your back almost instantly, Goro’s weight on you within a second, his trunks already missing as he resituates between your legs before you even have time to move.

His lips crash onto yours.

His movements hungry, needy, a bit sloppy even, but you love it.

He groans into your mouth as one of his hands again slides down to move along your folds, though only briefly, apparently deciding he can wait no longer as he shifts just slightly without breaking the kiss to position himself.

You grip his shoulder with one hand, tangling the other in his hair, a whimper of impatience catching in your throat as he finally slides into you.

His head lulls forward, nuzzling into the crook of your neck with a loud groan, your own moaning seeming to urge him on as he slowly slides in and out deeper and deeper to give you time to adjust.

Your eyes close of their own accord, your back arching against him, head digging back as he lifts up slightly. One of his hands glides up along your entire body, slowly feeling along your curves and bare skin before wrapping around the front of your exposed throat.

A whimper parts your lips as you grip his wrist, he doesn’t apply much pressure, but it gives you something to hold onto to stay sane as he starts moving in and out.

His soft groans mixing with the endless moans and whimpers that spill from your lips, growing louder as his thrusts pick up speed and force.

Heat builds in your stomach, your legs moving to hitch further up his waist, giving him a new, deeper angle, earning an almost guttural groan from him. You gasp as he leans in closer, taking advantage of your change, slowing to find the right spot and hit it repeatedly.

Your nails dig into the skin along his wrist, brows knitting together slightly as your eyes screw even tighter shut, incoherent moaning flowing breathlessly from your lips as he keeps a somewhat slow but undeniably satisfying pace.

He speaks again, muttering your name along with something else, your translator taking only a second to flash across your vision, “look at me.”

You open your eyes, seeing him above you like this almost sending you over the edge immediately.

He slows again, his body now almost flush with yours, leaving just enough room to still move as he slides his hand from around your neck to caress your cheek, his lips capturing yours in a slow but hungry kiss.

It’s a bit more intimate than you’d initially planned, rather than the wild, crazy, fast-paced thrill you had been seeking.

Admittedly… this feels so much better… the immense pleasure from each thrust inside, his hips moving perfectly to hit deep and well-placed every time, his body grinding along yours with his movements. The slower pace allowing him to kiss you, hold you, feel along each other’s bodies and really notice every impossibly, overwhelmingly pleasurable sensation.

Your fingers grip his hair tighter, tugging slightly, earning a groan from him that briefly parts the kiss, allowing you to mutter against his lips, “Goro… I think – I –“

The translator flickers something along the lines of, “I’ve got you,” across your vision, but you don’t fully pay attention, the warmth building to be almost too much as your head digs back into the bed, eyes screwing shut again.

He picks up the pace briefly, snapping his hips forward as you unintentionally tug his hair again, earning a sharp gasp from you followed by repeated moans and whimpers of his name over and over again as you reach the edge and peak.

“Goro. Goro… GORO. Don’t stop, Goro. GoRO…”

Your noisiness coupled with the light spasming of your body as you climax seems to coax him through his own release as a deep, guttural groan sounds from his throat, burying his face along the crook of your neck and breathlessly muttering your name.

“That…” he reverts back to English, “was… so…”

“Fantastic…” you mutter back, still unable to catch your own breath.

He chuckles softly, the sound tickling your ear as he presses a gentle kiss to your cheek, then your temple, before lifting just enough to meet your eyes. Caressing your face lightly as he studies your features, a soft grin warming his eyes, “that was a good talk.”

You can’t help but to give a short laugh in return, grinning broadly as he runs a hand back through your hair to tame what is sure to be a mess atop your head, “I’m inclined to agree with you on that. Turning off our phones was a good idea.”

“I did not want to risk another interruption,” his own smile grows, “I have been thinking about that for **_so_** long.”

“Oh yeah?” you quirk a brow at him, playfully running your hands along his back, already feeling the fire reignite from seeing him like this… his naked body on top of you, still inside you for that matter, his eyes drifting down to your lips, his hair falling around his face as he runs a single hand back through it to push it all to one side, knowing it was you who made him feel this way and left him so breathless…

He blushes slightly, “I still feel odd in admitting this to you, but I thought of it quite often.”

“Maybe I did too,” you smirk as one of his brows twitches up briefly, his eyes again lingering on your lips before darting back up to meet yours.

“Did you?”

“You’re a **_very_** attractive man, Goro…” your desire is already growing, feeling the hunger rise in your stomach, your heartrate picking up as you move your hands to trail up along his chest, “maybe I should show you?”

He opens his mouth as if to speak, but you cut him off by rolling him, again seeming to surprise him as his back meets the bed and you straddle him, your lips crashing down onto his. One of his hands moves along the small of your back to pull you flush against his body, the other cupping the back of your neck to deepen the kiss.


	26. Round 2 and Implications

His hands caress your back, feeling greedily along your skin, groaning into your mouth as you lower onto him. His fingers dig in slightly, gripping you with a shaky exhale as you part from him to shift up and get a better angle, slowly starting to move up and down.

You can’t help but to bite your lip at the sight of him… laying on your bed, his hair splayed out beneath his head as he digs it back against the mattress, his eyes briefly shutting as another groan parts his lips in sync with your movements… knowing your affect on him… the pleasure you’re causing.

His grip shifts to your hips, rolling his own slightly and making you gasp, your hands finding his chest to keep steady as you lean forward slightly. A cocky but sexy grin broadens across his face, his eyes meeting yours before he rolls his hips again, tugging yours down onto him to hit the same sensitive spot, eliciting a string of moans from you each time he repeats the motion.

The heat builds too quickly…

You aren’t ready for it to be over yet, so you lean over him further, both your hands sliding up to tangle in his hair.

He groans as you give a soft tug, his chest heaving shakily as one of his hands moves up along your neck, pulling you in for a deep kiss.

You tug again, enjoying his hair being down not only for yourself but for the reaction it so clearly has on him.

He inhales sharply as his hips roll a little, his heartrate felt easily as it pounds against his chest.

You lift just enough to meet his eyes, your lips barely grazing over his as you breathe his name, “Goro…” your hands shifting to drag your nails lightly along the side of his scalp and tease him further with yet another grip and tug.

His jaw clenches, a low groan the only warning given before you find yourself sitting upright again, Goro having shifted beneath you. He wraps his arms around your waist, using one hand to coax your legs around him as he kisses and nips along the skin of your neck.

You aren’t quite sure what he’s doing, both sitting like this… how would either of you-

He tightens his arms, pulling you against him, your own immediately darting to grip his shoulders as he moves even deeper inside, grinding against you.

A gasp followed by a loud moan escape you, surprise turning to pleasure as he essentially uses the angle to massage the most sensitive spot deep inside you.

“Goro…” you whimper, wrapping your arms around him, one hand sliding up into his hair as he groans into your ear, muttering your name in return.

It had never crossed your mind, just how good it could feel while still being so… intimate with someone. While the act itself was intimate enough, being this close, holding each other like this, keeping things slow but still overwhelming with pleasure. It’s a surprise to you, just how much you’re enjoying it. Though, admittedly, part of you thinks having the right partner may be key here…

You’re sure something more fast-paced could still be enjoyed with Goro, but as he shifts slightly to coax you into meeting his eyes, his lips breathlessly uttering your name once more… heat shooting straight to your core and bringing you close to the edge… you’re absolutely certain you’ve never felt this way before.

He mumbles under his breath before his lips again find your neck, burying his face there, his beard tickling a little as you feel his breathing come in more and more erratic, shallow heaves of his chest.

Your translator flashes, “so beautiful, so wet, so perfect.”

Even with your current situation, you still feel a warmth flutter across your cheeks, the blush soon replaced with another string of moans as his teeth graze and then bite along the crook of your neck.

His movements change, seeming more needy and less rhythmic.

You caress his face, forcing him to meet your eyes, opening your mouth to ask if something’s wrong, but he interrupts you by rolling. The bed is at your back in an instant, his weight on top of you, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.

Everything had felt amazing before, the previous intimate position allowing him to go deeper even without needing to move in and out too much, more of a grinding motion than anything – but… now, as he returns to a more traditional method and slides all the way back in, you struggle to hold on, your climax threatening to spill over the edge at any moment before he even fully starts moving…

You aren’t sure if it’s the change in stimulation, or just the way your body responds to him specifically, but as he begins sliding in and out, you screw your eyes shut and grip the sheets near your head as your back arches… the pleasure growing, rising… the heat blazing in your stomach down through your toes… your chest rising and falling in steadily shakier breaths as your body melts at the touch of this man all but worshiping you.

His hips thrust a bit harder, snapping forward as you moan his name, seeming close to his own release as he becomes more erratic, the groans spilling from his lips in return as you can’t hold back anymore… your body slightly spasming, a string of moans and repeated utterings of his name throwing him irretrievably over to join you in climaxing.

His weight rests on you, though not an unwelcome sensation… both your bodies trembling slightly, and genuinely unsure whether the droplets along both your skin is still from the hot tub, or just sweat.

After a few moments of near silence, only the sound of both of your breathing filling the room as you struggle to regain composure and all but gasp for air… he manages to utter your name, shifting his weight enough to prop up slightly on one arm, his eyes meeting yours with a small grin as he caresses your cheek with his free hand.

He tucks one knuckle under your chin, tilting your head to better meet his gaze, his thumb grazing gently just beneath your bottom lip as he returns to English, “you are so very beautiful.”

Warmth again radiates your cheeks, making you smile in return, “you’re not too bad yourself, especially with your hair down.”

He quirks a brow, chuckling lightly, “you like it down?”

“I think we **_both_** enjoyed it being down,” your smile shifts into a smirk as he again chuckles and nods in agreement.

“A weakness of mine, which you found immediately and used to incessantly torment me.”

“Are you saying you didn’t like it?” you jest playfully, “because I can stop doing it.”

His grin broadens, returning your playful demeanor, “do not mock me, you know very well how much I enjoyed it.”

You give a short laugh, enjoying being like this with him and not wanting the moment to end, but knowing it to be getting very late, “as appealing as round 3 sounds, I think we both need a shower and some sleep.”

He tilts his head and chuckles, the sound coming deep from his chest, “Round 3? Really?”

You shrug slightly as his weight reluctantly shifts from you, offering a hand to help you up, “you saying you wouldn’t be down for another?”

His arms wrap around your waist, holding you up just as your legs threaten to give out, wobbling beneath you, his own stability somewhat in question but managing to keep standing for the both of you as he gives an almost incredulous laugh, “I do not believe **_either_** of us are, darling.”

“Maybe you’re right,” you reluctantly admit, your arms moving to wrap around his neck, both smiling like … well… complete idiots to be honest. Both overly giddy and still in somewhat excited disbelief of what had finally just happened, “we could use a break.”

He presses a gentle kiss to your lips before meeting your eyes again, “would you mind… if perhaps I joined you in the shower?”

“Oh,” you quirk a brow, leaning back slightly, seeming to unintentionally confuse him as worry briefly flashes across his features before you continue, “I was actually kinda already assuming you were staying in here tonight.”

His shoulders relax, his features melting from the almost blank expression back into a grin, “I was hoping you would say that.”

** Goro POV: **

The water is hot against my skin, but helps to relax my muscles. At least, it does until she steps under the stream… the water cascading, flowing over her skin, accentuating her curves and making my mouth go dry.

I swallow thickly, eyes darting up to meet hers as she opens them to smile at me, her hands resting along my chest as she leans into me.

My hands rest one at her hip and one along her back, my cheeks feeling almost sore… I do not think I have smiled this much in a very long time.

To think of what we have done, how I have touched her, the noises I coaxed from her and the way I hold her now… I am in disbelief.

If I had been told even a short month ago of where I would be today, I would have scoffed and laughed the person out of the room, perhaps chastise them for mocking me and wasting my time.

Yet…

Here I stand…

Holding this beautiful woman, moving one of my hands to caress her face as she smiles up at me with those gorgeous eyes. To know that I have made her smile like this, that she is happy because of me, and happy to have me here like this as well… I cannot describe the emotion I feel.

It is almost overwhelming, but in the best possible way.

I will cherish this moment, cherish her, protect her.

By any means necessary.

That much is abundantly clear to me.

I lean my forehead against hers, holding her body flush to mine and never wanting this moment to end.

This intimate, and emotional moment… wildly unfamiliar to me, yet so very welcome. I could not have dreamt of something, nor someone, so perfect… I could not have ever expecting a moment like this, not for myself, not when I felt so undeserving of it.

Yet she still wants me, even after everything I have done and been through.

She does not know every detail of my life, but she knows enough to have made a well-informed decision, and… still has chosen me.

I press my lips to hers, hoping to convey how I feel without yet putting it into words – a conversation for another day, certainly.

We still have much to discuss, but for now, I want to enjoy this; enjoy the simplicity of this moment with her.

We dress enough to lay in bed, simple boxers for myself and for her an oversized shirt with … lacey underwear that would surely be the death of me…

She curls up to me, her head resting on the pillow near mine, far enough away to meet my gaze, one of her legs draped across my stomach for my hand to caress.

“So,” she smiles, her fingers tracing along where the cyberware turns to flesh along my chest.

“So?” I cannot help but to return to smile, feeling like an overly excited boy again, unable to take my eyes off her.

“Did you know,” she quirks a brow, “that you revert to Japanese when you’re really revved up?”

My own brow raises slightly, “do I?”

She nods softly, her grin broadening, “it’s cute, actually.”

“I am glad you think so,” I cup along the back of her knee and pull, forcing her closer so that I can pull her body flush against me as I turn to my side, “I was unaware that I was doing it. Admittedly, I was likely too focused on the noises you make,” I move my hand to slide up along her thigh, gripping her ass slightly to hitch her leg up on my hip and move my own leg somewhat between hers, “and the faces… the faces you make are quite…” I search for the word, but simply cannot find the right one, my jaw clenching with a release of the breath I had not realized I was holding.

She arches into me, “I thought we said no to round 3, Goro?”

I break into a chuckle, shifting my hand to instead cup along the back of her neck, “I apologize, you are simply too enticing, darling.”

“We both need some sleep,” she presses a light kiss to my lips, my hand sliding down to rest along her waist.

The lights fade out, presumably turned off by her via remote connection.

Her lips move slowly… her body arching into me as I instinctively lean somewhat over her, my hand moving up her shirt to grip along the small of her back, offering support to keep her flush against myself.

The kiss is gentle, almost lazy, surely intended to be a quick and sleepy ‘goodnight’, but neither of us can bring ourselves to break away.

I trail my tongue along hers, testing my limits I am sure, but feeling the warmth of desire returning in my chest and curiosity as to whether she does as well.

Her hands tangle in my hair, sending a chill along my skin and creating a fire deep in my stomach, a sharp inhale of air through my nose as I try to control my strength, my fingers digging in slightly along her hip.

She knows what this does to me, what her hands through my hair elicits… the reaction she will gain from me in gripping the strands and tugging them.

She knows, and she clearly enjoys it.

My weight shifting to move fully on top of her, grinding my body entirely along hers as her long legs wrap around my waist…

She will be the death of me.


	27. I Would Be Honored

** Goro POV: **

I find restraint, somehow, to pull away from her, shifting my weight just enough to meet her eyes, the soft glow of moonlight filtering through her windows outlining her features in the darkness of the room. One of my hands lightly caresses her cheek, grazing my knuckle gently down along her jaw to tuck under her chin, tilting her head up slightly before trailing my fingers slowly down the soft skin of her throat.

She seems to enjoy this. Her neck, perhaps, being a weakness for her as my hair is for me.

My entire palm can nearly cover the entire front, my thumb and fingers at either side, her head tilting further back as one of her hands grips my wrist.

**I cannot decide…**

My gaze lingers on her lips as she draws the bottom between her teeth, slowly letting it slide out before my eyes dart up to meet hers, finding them to be even more inviting… She **_must_** know what she does to me, how her expressions affect me…

**If I should stop now so that she may sleep…**

Her legs… her long, beautiful legs… sliding further up my waist… the skin of her thighs brushing near my ribs, her ankles crossing at my low back, knees hugging me so that I must situate my entire body flush to hers.

**Or if I should show her just what she does to me…**

Her hands slide up my arms, finding their way to knot in the back of my hair.

My eyes immediately shut, my hips rolling forward on their own as I release a very unsteady breath.

She emits a sinful moan, making up my mind for me as I crash my lips onto hers once more.

** Your POV: **

Morning comes all too soon, though, admittedly, it’s mostly your own fault. Goro had tried to behave, to let you sleep through the night; you were the one that couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.

It couldn’t be helped, really… Goro was irresistible in your eyes, and apparently, he found you to be the same, which only made it all the more fun to tease him incessantly.

You had managed to get a cumulative few hours of sleep in between your… enthusiastic endeavors, finding yourself to be rather ‘insatiable’ as Goro put it. Though, he made it quite clear that he was neither complaining nor wishing otherwise.

The sun has barely begun to rise, casting steep shadows across your bedroom since you had left the windows without a light-blocking screen overnight. Usually, you would find it somewhat annoying, wanting to savor the darkness as long as possible before having to wake, but this is a very different morning…

Goro’s sleeping form next to you brings a soft smile to your face, your fingers trailing lightly along the tattoos of his chest, not wanting to wake him but unable to simply look and not touch.

He seems so peaceful in his slumber, his slightly messy hair an oddly attractive sight, and obviously having his bare torso exposed… with the sheets pushed low along his waist, near the hem of his boxers is… distracting.

You needed to get ready for work, to exit the bed, to leave him to rest and get on with your day. But… you can’t bring yourself to part from him.

There was nothing dire at work today, nothing so important that it couldn’t be done without you or remotely from your home. Most everything had been taken care of yesterday, leaving you to rather promptly decide on taking the day off.

A quick message to Markus sets the plan in stone, your smile broadening as you prop your head up along the pillow, studying Goro’s features as you slowly comb your fingers through his hair.

He begins to stir slightly.

His brows furrowing briefly before his eyes slowly open, blinking heavily as he takes a deep breath followed by a short yawn. He runs a hand down his face, massaging the bridge of his nose for a moment, and then turns his head, his eyes landing on you and a warm smile immediately turning up his cheeks.

“Good morning,” he mutters, pulling you close and grabbing one of your hands to press your knuckles gently to his lips.

“Sorry if I woke you,” you only half meant it, to be honest. You certainly wished him a restful sleep, but also wanted the most time possible with him, having so much more you wanted to discuss now that you had the opportunity to spend the entire day together.

His smile broadens as he releases your hand to caress your cheek, now seeming fully awake, “do you not go into work today?”

“Took the day off, actually, I thought maybe-“

He cuts you off, pulling you in to press his lips to yours, grinning through the kiss before parting to meet your eyes again, “I was hoping you would, but dared not ask for it.”

“Really?” you quirk a brow, finding his smile contagious.

“Of course,” he runs his hands back through his hair, quickly tying it in the usual bun before again resting his head back on the pillow, “I still have things I wish to discuss, and I… somewhat selfishly wanted to spend the day with you, after the… well, the events… of last night.”

You chuckle softly as the blush across his cheeks grows to a rather deep shade, “the ‘events’? Is that what you call it?”

“Do not mock me,” he covers his eyes with his hand, though not hiding his grin before again meeting your eyes, “I find it very difficult to speak about such things so openly, even with you.”

“You don’t seem to find it too difficult when we’re in the middle of things,” you quirk a brow, smirking as his the flush along his cheeks spreads, “you’re rather vocal, actually.”

“That is…” he clears his throat and shifts somewhat uncomfortably, “that is different.”

You press a light kiss to his cheek, then another to his lips when he turns his head to face you, “I like it though.”

He offers a chuckle in response, his familiar crooked smirk tugging along his features, “I am glad, and I thank you for taking the day to spend with me, it… means a lot.”

“We do actually have to get outta bed at some point though.”

He chuckles again, pulling you close and wrapping his arms around your waist briefly to hug you before shifting to prop up on his pillow slightly, “I believe we will learn to find a balance, for now things are new and we are enjoying… exploring… one another.”

“True,” you nod, “what should we do for breakfast?”

“Well,” he moves one arm behind his head, keeping the other along your back as he holds you to his side, “I am sure we will figure it out, but for now, I am quite enjoying just laying here and talking with you.”

“I guess I could be convinced to stay in bed just a **_little_** bit longer,” you cast a coy grin at him, his hand cupping the back of your head to pull you in for a gentle kiss.

“You are so beautiful,” he mutters against your lips.

“You say that like you’re not way out of my league.”

He half scoffs, half laughs incredulously, rolling his eyes in exaggerated disbelief, “I assure you, darling, it is entirely the opposite.”

“I don’t think you realize what a catch you are, Goro,” you tilt your head, smiling down at him as the blush creeps along his cheeks again, “I honestly didn’t think I’d be your type.”

“I believe,” he chuckles, “that you are the ‘type’ of most everyone. I could not imagine you being turned down in any circumstance, and must say that I feel… or rather, that I um-” he averts his eyes briefly, seeming almost uncertain before he somewhat reluctantly brings himself to meet your gaze again, “if you would consider, possibly, seeing where this goes… I would feel incredibly honored to know that you are mine, and that I am yours.”


	28. Background

** V POV: **

I should be happy for her, but having Johnny’s scowling face around keeps me tense and agitated.

Not to mention my own rejection weighing heavy…

“Told you,” he mutters, leaned against the wall as I walk through the door of my apartment, finally making it back home after driving aimlessly for a few hours to clear my head.

“Don’t need your shit right now, Johnny,” I toss my bags on the floor, not caring where they land before flopping face first into the couch.

“Can’t say I blame him, but it’ll be interesting watching him all sad for a while,” he flickers and appears kneeling near the couch, his eyes level with yours as he takes off his sunglasses in a rather overly dramatic motion, “wish I could see that conversation.”

“Oh?” I lift my head, propping up slightly and narrowing my eyes, “what makes you so sure she won’t-“

“She’s smarter than that,” he interrupts, “wouldn’t fall for some ‘Saka dropout, not our girl.”

“Not even with his ‘pretty eyes’,” I bat my lashes at him sarcastically, enjoying pushing his buttons in return, especially after the major ass-chewing I got from him the whole car ride.

“Not funny,” he shakes his head and stands, lighting a cig in frustration, though it only makes things worse since he can’t actually taste it, “need to get him set up somewhere permanent ASAP, get him outta her house and keep her safe. You got any leads, V?”

“Listen,” I sit up reluctantly, feeling my head pound against my skull with the events of the day jammed in there in a fucked-up mess of tangled emotions, “I’m worried too, but I think that’s the best place for him. He cares about her right? He’ll protect her if anything happens again. Might be a good set up for both of ‘em… maybe permanently.”

“You shittin’ me?” He spins around, the scowl deepening, “You can’t seriously think they’re good for each other? He’s a fucking Corpo cunt, V. Runaway or not, he’s ‘Saka down to the goddamn bone – or metal, whatever the fuck he’s got goin’ on. Can’t fuckin’ be trusted. ‘Specially not with her.”

“Johnny…” I sigh, running a hand down my face, “do you forget what she does for a living?”

“That’s different,” he takes a large step forward, pointing his finger defiantly, “and you fuckin’ know it.”

** 10 years ago, V POV: **

“V,” I hear her calling my name, turning to see her atop a new motorcycle, “check what I just snagged from that garage over in the nice part of town.”

“Aren’t they gonna miss that?” I can’t help but to run over, my eyes practically bulging in their sockets.

She was 16 when she took me under her wing, still too young to be lookin’ after anyone else, but she provided for us anyway and taught me what I needed to know. I was only 13, didn’t feel too young then, but she was my idol, my best friend, my sister. I’d’ve done anything for her then, did a lot of stupid shit trying to impress her and earn her praise.

Got in a lot of trouble, both with the law and with her – she tried keeping my nose clean, preferring to dirty her own hands rather than mine whenever possible. She did what she had to; made sure we survived and grew up way too quick trying to keep us both safe.

I didn’t make it easy on her, but I wouldn’t have made it otherwise. Night City is hard on everyone, but especially street kids like us. We were the cast out, the unwanted, the pushed aside and tucked away grimy underbelly that the upper-class wanted to pretend didn’t exist.

We hated them for that.

But it made us close. We had each other, and that’s what mattered. We swore, took a blood oath that we’d always stick together; always have each other’s backs.

“Here,” she hands me the knife, having run it over a lighter for a minute to sterilize it before pricking her own thumb, “do it quick so it doesn’t hurt.”

I do as she says, not just because I look up to her, but because I trust her, and because I feel so incredibly lucky she found me, “that still hurt,” I pout my bottom lip, putting the knife back on the makeshift table after drawing a few small beads of blood.

Before it can trail down too far, or dry up, we press our thumbs together and then both kiss the back of our hands before letting go.

She looks down at her hand, wiping it with one of our cleaner towels before handing it to me, giving a curt but seemingly satisfied nod.

I smile giddily, feeling closer to her than ever.

We’re officially sisters.

No one can say otherwise.

** 8 years ago, V POV: **

When she turns 18 I expect things to change, but they don’t. Not really anyway.

I expected her to ditch me, to decide she was over the whole babysitting gig and take me to some crowded shopping center to ‘accidentally’ lose me.

To be honest, I had tried to save her the trouble and run off on my own, figuring it was better than wondering when she would leave.

She found me 2 days later.

“V!” I hear her yell, almost certain I’d imagined her voice as I jolt upright, my vision still a little blurry from sleeping.

Her arms wrap around me before I even fully see her, knocking the air from my lungs and squeezing me tight until it almost hurts.

“Ok,” I gasp, struggling to wriggle free from her grip, “can lemme go now, gotta breathe.”

She pulls back, her eyes meeting mine as she holds me by the shoulders, tears brimming as her bottom lip quivers, “NEVER leave like that again, do you hear me?”

“I thought-“

“V,” she grips my shoulders tighter, I’d never felt so guilty in my life than in that moment seeing the pain I’d caused her, “promise me… promise me you’ll never disappear like that again.”

“I promise,” I nod, feeling my own eyes watering as she pulls me back in for another hug.

“What the fuck were you thinking anyway? Running off on your own like that,” she sniffles softly, “I was worried sick, thought someone grabbed you. Imagined the worst had happened to you, asked around everywhere, took me a whole day just to find anyone who admitted to seeing you at all.”

“You’re 18 now,” I shrug, my shoulders slumping as I pull back and pick at the dirt under my nails, “figured you’d be tired of me, wanna go do your own thing.”

“V…” she grabs my face, making me look back at her, “I’m here for you, always will be. Don’t EVER think I don’t want you around, yeah?”

I respond with a shallow nod, not trusting myself to speak without crying.

“Sisters, remember?” She holds up her thumb, the light scar there bringing a faint smile to my face as I hold mine up in return.

** 5 years ago, V POV: **

For her 21 st birthday I expect her to go out partying with friends, feeling gloomy all day and avoiding too much conversation with her. It’s selfish, but I miss having her around. She’d gotten a regular job, trying to stay clean so she could get us some proper housing, but… it’s been a struggle. She still doesn’t want me to work, says I need to study and learn more before getting out there for myself.

I just wanna help, but I understand where she’s coming from so, I try not to argue too much.

When she comes into my room with cake, I can’t help but to smile.

She had decided to stay home with me instead, thinking something had been wrong with how sulky I had been all day and wanting to make sure I was alright rather than going out.

She always put me first… always.

** 4 years ago, V POV: **

The straight and narrow didn’t last long…

She tried, she really did, but in the end, her skillset and experience made her better money working as a merc taking odd jobs here and there. Mostly armed transport, ensuring things made it where they were supposed to in one piece, eventually moving up to transporting people more than cargo.

There was still danger, sure, but every now and then she’d get a really weird job… one that paid great, that she couldn’t turn down.

She wouldn’t tell me about those… that’s the only way I’d know, the only reason I’d worry so much.

Where usually she’d at least let me know where she’d be and a general idea of what the gig was, these… she’d be private, radio silence, giving me a grave look any time I’d try to ask before changing the subject. She’d never tell me what happened, not even after the job was done and she was paid.

“Don’t ask questions, V,” she’d mutter, “be grateful we have these opportunities, we couldn’t make it without them.”

“Eddies aren’t everything,” I’d always tell her, my worry for her outweighing my want for a better life.

But she’d just smile and nod, “I know, V, I know. But you’ll be glad I did this one day, trust me, it’s all for a good cause.”

** 3 years ago, V POV: **

When I turned 20, she came home in a brand-new car, tossed me the keys and asked if I wanted to take it for a spin.

I was excited, ran over and hopped in like no big deal, figuring maybe she was loaned the wheels for a gig or something temporarily.

She got in the passenger seat, smiling as she gave me directions where to drive. Didn’t think much of it at the time, figuring she was just taking us around the block to look at some scenic views, maybe see how the nice end of town lives – the good life we aspired to have one day.

“You like the car?”

“You kidding?” I scoff, “things a beast, smooth too, I want one of these one day.”

“You can have it,” she shrugs nonchalant, “it’s your birthday after all.”

I don’t take her seriously, of course, almost snorting as I laugh it off.

She tells me to pull into one of the driveways, a large gate coming into view.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here…” I glance around warily, seeing a security camera posted to a small keypad.

“It’s fine, V,” she chuckles, giving me a string of numbers to type in.

I assume she’s joking, or that maybe we’re delivering the car and walking home – that would kinda suck, but at least it’d be a nice walk home.

The gate opens and I glance over to her, reluctantly inching the car forward as she gives a reassuring nod and her smile broadens.

A large house looms over the circle-drive, almost mansion-like, way better than anything I could’ve even imagined. Would we be able to go inside? Or were we just leaving the car parked somewhere? The garage maybe? Would there be other nice cars inside?

“Wanna get out and take a look around?”

I raise a brow at her, “are we even supposed to be here?”

“C’mon,” she chuckles again, still leaving me in suspense. Though, to be honest, it isn’t unusual for her to tease me with surprises, waiting until the last second to give the big reveal.

I follow her up to the door, glancing around nervously, feeling increasingly out of place and uncomfortable…

She holds her hand near the door, something moving inside to open at her presence.

Maybe they programmed her to have access as a guest?

“Which room do you want?”

She doesn’t look at me, not directly, seeming to wait for my response and keeping a cool and casual vibe as she takes a few more steps inside to look around.

“Why’s this place empty? What’re we doing here anyway?” I can’t take her seriously, my agitation growing with each second she doesn’t explain what’s going on.

“We’re upgrading, V,” she finally glances back, smiling and motioning to the house around us, her arms moving vaguely, “now go pick your room, we got the ‘ok’ to start moving in.”

Things seemed too good to be true, I started asking questions about these jobs over the next few months… her time at home growing to be scarce and all these nice new things… her new clothes, new style, new demeanor … something had to be going on.

She always had a different air about her, something that read to be more refined than the rest of us street kids, but it was steadily growing more and more prominent. Something was changing with her.

I corner her one night, yelling for her to tell me the truth or else I’ll leave, telling her how much I worry and that I can’t handle it anymore. We’re sisters after all, we’re supposed to tell each other everything.

She stays silent for a while, seeming to think before she reluctantly motions to her bed, telling me to sit down while she explains.

I do just that, finding myself angry, sad, worried, scared, nervous… I had no idea what she would say.

She went on to explain how she got tired of doing the dirty work for corporations, being tasked with cleaning up their messes and covering up their corruption day after day… she had made some contacts, met some people she thought she could trust, gathered up intel she could use – good detes these people and herself had learned on these jobs that they could use against the corporations.

They’d come together to form a group of her own, a sort of ‘anti-corporation’ as she called it, acting like it was some inside joke they all had with each other. They were working, slowly, to infiltrate and take out the most corrupt portions of certain companies, starting by getting contracted as a growing merc operation – steadily turning into a business of their own rather than just a group of lone wolfs.

She admitted it had grown more than they planned, gotten bigger, more successful than they ever could’ve imagined. Who wouldn’t wanna hire a professional, rather than some random street guy with some cred to his name but no real way to validate his skills or keep him accountable.

They even had their own business building, their own logo, their own legal team…

“You’re turning into one of them,” I couldn’t help the seething rage growing inside my chest, my stomach turning in knots, everything starting to make sense, “you say you’re doing it to hurt them, but you’re just helping them in the meantime aren’t you? You can’t gain trust without giving something, right? So you’re basically just becoming some fucking corpo pawn, doing their bidding, making your dirty Eddies helping the people we always said we hated.”

She shakes her head, “V, it’s complicated, but I promise you, infiltration is not the same as-“

“You’re wrong,” I feel my voice rising, “you lost sight of what’s important, all this materialistic bullshit clouds your judgement. This is all fucked, all wrong,” I stand and move to brush past her, but she catches me by the arm, “let me go.”

“V… please,” she releases my arm but stands between me and the door, “just listen, we can bring you on, let you see for yourself. It’s safe now, secured a reputation so we can give you a good position without putting you in too much danger. You’ll see how it is, I promise it’s not-“

“I’m not a fuckin’ corpo,” I scoff, practically spitting the words at her, “I’m getting my shit and leaving. If you wanna betray everything we said we stood for, go right ahead, but I’m not stickin’ around to watch it all happen. All this shit,” I motion around us, “all this is corpo fuckin’ greed, and you know it.”

“V, wait-“

I shove past her, knocking into her shoulder on the way out, slamming the door behind me and storming off towards my room.

She doesn’t interrupt my packing, doesn’t come into my room.

She gives me the keys to one of the cars, telling me I can have it, that she’d promised it was mine for my birthday and intended to stick to that. I take it only because I have nothing else, no money of my own or place to go – a car to sleep in for now would have to do until I could sell it for some Eddies to live on for a while.

I expect her to try and stop me, to say that I’m right and that she will give up all this stupid shit, go back to how things were, but she doesn’t. She tears up a little, moving forward like she wants to give me a hug, but faltering and deciding against it when I take a step back away from her. With a soft nod, she stands at the door, watching me leave.

** Present day, V POV: **

“You remember how I left things that day?” I mutter softly, casting my eyes down to the floor, “that something you seen while you’re living rent free in my head?”

“Yeah…” he sighs, the sound of his boots shuffling before the couch groans and creeks at his weight when he flops down beside me – I genuinely don’t know if it’s in my head anymore, part of the hallucination to make him seem more real to me… “but I think she’s right, ya know. I think she had it figured out, think she got those fuckers by the balls making this ‘anti-corp’ situation, even got it all official.”

“Yeah,” I glance over at him, leaning back and resting my head to stare up at the ceiling, “I was too pissed off to see it then, didn’t wanna admit things had to change, just wanted things to go on bein’ how they were forever, I guess. She seemed like she was movin’ up, getting’ all high-class and leaving me behind. I didn’t see that she was doing it for a reason. She always deserved better, always had some big plan she wasn’t ready to let everyone else in on, had things figured out from the start I bet.”

Johnny smiles softly, nodding along as he stares up at the ceiling too, “yeah I got those memories too, I don’t think she did it to hurt you, V. Quite the opposite, in fact. Pretty sure she was doing it to make sure you had a good life and didn’t have to worry about anything. There’s a reason she didn’t talk shop to you; taught you to defend yourself but wouldn’t let you join in on gigs.”

“I know,” I whisper, feeling my eyes tear up, “she always did what was best for me, and I acted like a spoiled kid not getting their way.”

“Least you see it now,” he nudges my shoulder, “she doesn’t seem to hold it against ya either, still just wants what’s best. Which includes…”

“No, Johnny,” I shake my head, “no more doctors.”

“She said she’s got a team at her company, right?” He sits upright, tapping my leg with the back of his hand for emphasis, “wouldn’t have to worry about the same stuff there, being lil sis to the big boss lady has its perks.”

I stare at him blankly before closing my eyes, taking a deep breath before I slump down further into the couch cushions.

“Just sayin’ you should think about it is all,” the couch shifts as he stands, “just consider it, V. She wants what’s best for you, remember?”


	29. Stuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My husband had a rare day off yesterday so we spent some much needed time together going to the gym and eating good food :)  
> You know how this goes by now, but I'll reiterate in case there are new people following the story - I upload once a day, but when I MISS a day, I will have TWO updates each of the following TWO days. This makes up for the day I missed, and will give a bonus chapter as a thank you for being patient with my lapse in schedule.  
> :) Hope you all enjoy what's coming

** Your POV: **

You can’t help the slight blush blossoming across your cheeks, nor bite back the grin tugging along the edge of your lips, “Mr. Takemura, are you asking me to be your girlfriend, sir?”

He chuckles at your sarcasm, intertwining his fingers with that of one of your hands before pressing his lips to your knuckles softly and muttering, “only if you will have me.”

“Oh, I think you’re stuck with me at this point.”

His eyes meet yours, his smile broadening before he uses his other hand to cup the back of your neck, bringing you in for a slow but deep kiss, “I cannot begin to explain how happy I am to hear that.”

Your stomach growls in response, making him chuckle again, pressing one last kiss to your lips before shifting from the bed to dress.

You stretch, arms above your head and back arching with a soft yawn as your limbs fully wake.

“I would not do that,” he warns, his tone only half joking as he stands at the foot of the bed, hands gripping the railing, “unless you are willing to stay in bed for a while longer.”

With a coy grin, you roll your eyes, sliding out of bed to find your own clothes and pretending you don’t notice his gaze trailing over every inch of you. You’re starving; food would have to come first, which would mean keeping your hands to yourself – for both of you.

“I will go prepare breakfast,” he motions towards the door, his eyes briefly darting to your lips before averting again, “I do not think I can stand here any longer without significantly delaying our meal.”

You chuckle softly, “says the man who would walk around the house shirtless at all hours of the night.”

“Did that bother you?” he quirks a brow, gaze returning to meet yours, though struggling to hold as you dress.

“If by ‘bother’, you mean torture, then yes.”

He gives a short, but warm laugh, a crooked grin hanging in place as the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly, “I must admit, then, that your prancing around in shorts was very tortuous as well.”

You slip a casual shirt on over your head, grinning at the fact that you’re currently wearing a rather short pair of shorts even before hearing his admission.

This doesn’t go unnoticed, his eyes briefly trailing down towards your legs as you saunter over to him, his arms wrapping around your waist as yours slide up his chest to hook around the back of his neck. His eyes soften, arms tightening even though your bodies are already flush, his forehead leaning down to rest against yours.

You feel… happy. Giddy. Ecstatic.

…. In love?

He shifts to kiss your cheek, then your temple, one of his hands shifting to caress your face lightly, meeting your eyes with a smile before pressing one last gentle kiss to your lips, “we should eat, we both need it.”

You nod softly, moving towards the door but feeling a light tap of his hand gentle swatting your ass as he walks past you, casting a smirk over his shoulder.

You grin in return, watching his back the whole way to the kitchen, thinking to yourself how unreal this all felt, how many unlikely things had to line up perfectly for him to end up here of all places – with you of all people. Fate had never been something you put too much stock in, but too many coincidences had to work together to make this happen, something felt… right… from day one. Something about him drew you in, seemed effortless – like he was someone you’d known forever.

It’s an odd feeling, to think of a time before his being here, even more strange to realize how recently it was that he first introduced himself.

Are you going crazy? Or is this just how things are supposed to be? How… love… is supposed to feel?

You don’t want to say too much, not yet. Opting to enjoy your time with him and let things develop naturally rather than openly admit your confused and intense feelings out loud.

He insists on cooking breakfast himself, pulling out one of the stools at the counter and all but placing you atop it, pressing a lingering kiss to your lips before returning to prepping the food so that you can keep him company.

The morning is filled with laughs, something you’ve grown accustomed to with him, unsure how you ever spent so much time alone before…

He takes a seat with you at the counter, eating there rather than the dinning table so that you can sit closer together. You both push your plates aside, too enveloped in conversation to clean the kitchen yet, putting it off for a few more moments wouldn’t hurt anything.

When the conversation lulls somewhat, his smile seems to falter briefly, his demeanor shifting as he turns somewhat on his stool to face you more fully. His eyes linger along the counter where he taps his fingers, a habit you’ve learned to read as him being deep in thought, before he looks up to meet your gaze, his brows knitting slightly.

“I need to discuss something with you,” he lets out a short sigh through his nose, his eyes searching yours.

You tilt your head, quirking your brow but remaining silent. He seems worried, which concerns you, obviously, but you genuinely have no idea what he’s about to say, his mouth opening and closing in hesitation, clearly choosing his words carefully.

“It is…” he clears his throat and sits up a bit straighter, tapping his fingers in unison along the counter for emphasis as if he physically had a hard time getting the words to come out, “it is about V…”

“I forgot you two spent most the day together,” you shift in your own seat, knees bumping against his as you face him as well, “did she say something stupid?”

You mean it as a joke, trying to lighten the mood, perhaps she had simply been brash, and he didn’t know how to take it? She had a habit of rubbing people the wrong way sometimes, especially when they weren’t used to being around here. Admittedly, she was even too abrasive for you at times, and you know her better than anyone.

He takes a deep breath and gently grabs one of your hands, taking it in his own and pressing your knuckles to his lips before meeting your eyes again, “I do not want to cause problems between the two of you, but I also wish to be completely open with you for the sake of my own standing with you…”

“Goro,” your brows knit, squeezing his hand lightly, “kinda starting to worry me a little, what happened?”

He gives a curt nod, holding your hand in both of his, absentmindedly rubbing small circles along your skin with his thumb, “V… confessed feelings for me in your absence.”

“She…” you close your eyes briefly, shaking your head before meeting his eyes again, “she did what now?”

His eyes move back and forth, searching yours, “she admitted to feeling something for me, and when I did not return those affections she wanted to know why. I was… forced to tell her of my growing attachment to someone else.”

You raise your brows slightly, the situation starting to click in your mind, “so, you told her you didn’t like her, then told her you have feelings for someone else… doubt she took that very well?”

“She was surprisingly supportive,” he hesitates, pausing to sigh again, his jaw clenching somewhat, “until she realized **_who_** I was referring to.”

“Oh, fuck…” you all but groan the words, your heart sinking into the pit of your stomach as you pinch the bridge of your nose, “she must have been so upset… and I didn’t even call her last night, she-“

“She is not upset with you,” he lightly coaxes your hand from your face, caressing your cheek, “she knows only of my feelings, I told her I had not spoken with you yet, which was… technically true at the time. Her worry was mainly for your safety, which I must say is a worry of my own as well. My being here is what led Arasaka to-“

“Don’t,” you hold your hand up to interrupt him before leaning forward to grip his face, “we’ll figure all that out, but do **_not_** say you’re leaving as some noble save the poor damsel in distress thing, because I can assure you, I’m **_not_** the type to need saving, Goro. I can handle myself.”

He grins, pulling you in for a brief kiss to your lips before muttering your name, “I am increasingly aware of your ability to ‘handle’ certain situations, and no, darling, I would not dream of going anywhere – you would be hard pressed to get rid of me.”

You can’t hold back the grin tugging at your cheeks, his forehead resting against yours. You worry for V, obviously, and will call her later, ask her to come over and talk about everything in person… it’s only fair, especially to be open with her of all people about the significant development between you and Goro.

But, for now, your heart feels ready to burst as Goro effortlessly pulls you to straddle his lap, his arms wrapping around your waist to hold you tight and beard tickling as he nuzzles his face against your collar bone, “to quote your own sentiments… you are ‘stuck with me at this point’.”

You squeeze him in return, “wouldn’t have it any other way.”


	30. Kisses and Uncertain Information

Markus’ name appears along your screen, though you elect to ignore it several times, having already told him you were taking the day off and didn’t want to be disturbed. Being the boss had its perks, admittedly.

But… as morning wears on, you notice the accruing number of messages and missed calls growing.

“I might need to make a quick call,” you glance over to Goro, seeing him quirk a brow, you had just sat down to enjoy a relaxing movie together, still full from breakfast and wanting to lounge with each other for a while before figuring out what to do with the day.

“Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” you reluctantly stand from the couch, motioning to the hallway, “I’m just gonna call Markus to check in, I’m sure it’s fine, he’s probably just making sure I’m ok – being the first time I’ve taken off in… well, ever actually.”

He purses his lips, but nods curtly, remaining seated on the couch as you pad out into the hallway, his eyes trailing after you with a slight crease to his brows.

“Markus?” You mean to ask him what the issue is, why he’s left so many messages to call him rather than simply sending over information if he needs help with something.

Though, as you said, you had never taken a ‘vacation’ day, your usual scheduled days off were still filled with him and others sending you documents for your input or updating on situations you had left in limbo when any news had arisen. It struck you as extremely odd the way he was being so vague…

His demeanor, however, doesn’t change when answering the phone. A hint of worry underlying in his tone as he speaks, “I think you should come in today.”

“I really don’t think-“

“I **_really_** think we could use your help around here,” he seems uncomfortable, pressing things further, being oddly adamant, “I don’t think we quite resolved that issue the other night, the one we had a meeting about at your house?”

Something clicks, suddenly feeling dread yourself, your stomach tightening as you realize his reference to be in regards to the Arasaka men – bodies rather – that he’d had removed from your home. You cast a warry glance toward the empty doorway to the living room, suddenly curious if Goro could hear, if he was listening, if you’d mind his input or if you should attempt to handle it on your own…

You don’t want to keep anything from him, but do find yourself internally struggling with the new information.

“I’ll be in shortly, Markus.”

You hang up and chew at the corner of your lip, pacing slightly in contemplation. Would he try again to keep you out of things? Rather than allow you to help in any way? Or would he be understanding, as he had seemed with the living situation?

He understands enough to know that leaving will do no good, only allowing more potential for harm; his staying giving him the best opportunity to protect you, and you him. But, would be feel the same if it meant you going into work to deal with the more … business side of things?

Surely he would understand, know that your not showing up would raise more red flags, give more reason to be suspicious of you if Arasaka wasn’t already certain of your involvement. If there were any hope in keeping his location a secret, keeping him out of their hands, away from their vengeful grasp, you would have to go into work and talk with them.

From the underlying vibe you got speaking with Markus, you’re certain someone from Arasaka had to be standing with him, waiting for you to show up to speak with you personally. Whether it be in regards to the incident, or Goro, remains to be seen.

You want nothing more than for all of this to go away, for Goro to be able to live his life in safety, rather than being cooped up in the confines of your house. Sure, he can get out and go places, Night City likely wouldn’t pay much mind to him, as they hadn’t in the past, but now that Arasaka was actively hunting him and knew to track V… now that they had their eyes on you as well… it’s just too risky.

You don’t want him to worry, don’t want him to attempt to step in – unless it was absolutely necessary.

You’ll discuss it with him tonight, after you have more details, but for now, you think it best to be as vague as Markus had been. It wouldn’t be lying, not really, being that Markus hadn’t really given you any information to go on anyway, you would just relay the strange need he had expressed and assure Goro you would message him when you knew more.

Surely that would be enough for now.

Surely, he would understand. After all, you truly do plan to tell him whatever transpires when you return home. It couldn’t take all day, perhaps a few hours at most, allowing you to return to him promptly.

You sigh softly, returning to the living room to see him still seated on the couch, his lips turning up in a smile as he notices your presence.

It’s short-lived, however, immediately catching on to your uneasy expression, “what is wrong?”

He moves to stand, but you motion for him to stay seated, coming around to the back of the couch, leaning over slightly to rest your head along his shoulder in true exasperation. You want to tell him everything then and there, but keep to your decision, “Markus is acting strange, says he needs me to come in for an hour or two. Wouldn’t say what for, but he’s usually not like this.”

“Ah,” he kisses the side of your head, turning slightly to face you as you stand again, his hand finding one of yours, “perhaps you should go, then. The movie will be waiting when you return, as will I.”

You press a gentle kiss to his lips, feeling him smile softly before meeting his eyes again, “I’ll message you as soon as I find out what’s going on.”

“Please do,” he nods, “especially after the other night, I find myself increasingly concerned every time you step out that door.”

You step over the couch, flopping somewhat on the cushion next to him, earning a soft chuckle from him as you both wrap your arms around each other. His chuckle grows to a full laugh as you push him over, coaxing him to lay along his back as you press flush atop him, your arm propping you up just enough to hold his gaze. One of his hands moves up to cares your face, the other resting at the small of your back as he grins broadly up at you.

“You are beautiful.”

“And you’re unequivocally handsome,” you smirk at the flush coloring his cheeks, pressing a light kiss to his lips, feeling him squeeze you gently as your chest swells with the whirring of emotions still overwhelming your every thought.

“I am already impatient for you to return,” he chuckles, “and you have not even left yet.”

“It’ll be quick, I hope,” you steal one last kiss before reluctantly parting from him, his hand holding yours as your arm extends behind you, slowly trailing out of each other’s grasp when you step too far away.

He lets out a sigh, but smiles softly as he sits up, his understanding only making him infinitely more attractive…

You hastily change clothes, blowing him a kiss as you walk past to the front door.

In the most adorable fashion, he pretends to catch it, smirking in response to your playful eye roll.

This man undoubtedly has stolen your heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note, for anyone interested, I've started a Vik/Reader fic :) first chapter is up on my profile


	31. Intuition or Paranoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credit @neonsamurai on Tumblr for the amazing pictures, sad to see he doesn’t actually have tattoos, but my fic will continue to portray him with full sleeves because that neck mod gives me major Yakuza vibes - and I love ink. I always figured he’d have his spine upgraded too, interesting to see!

** Goro POV: **

I am obviously saddened by her leaving, but also excited that she seems so eager to return to me. It is reassuring… to know that we seem to feel the same depth of emotion for one another, and that I do not find it necessary to hide or perhaps downplay my attachment in any way.

She messages me as soon as she arrives, letting me know she had made it safely, and that she would update me whenever possible. This, too, makes me happy. Though I know there is still much to learn about one another, I am thrilled to know I have found someone who I can be open with – and receive the same in return. Surely, there will be details here and there that go unmentioned, but I do feel a trust with her, a craving even, to share everything.

This may be the first time my guard has been so utterly let down. No one else had made me want to open up in this way… it brings a smile to my face as I busy myself with making lunch.

I am not currently hungry, admittedly, but making something that will be good served cold within a few hours is easy enough, and allows my hands to stay occupied.

Time passes slowly, trickling by as if reluctant to bring her back to me.

I find myself growing impatient, but still in high spirits and a smile regularly tugging along my cheeks with each passing thought of her. Like a young boy with his first crush, I suppose, though I genuinely would not know.

Yes, I had experienced lust before, as all humans do – but this… is not that. I am unable to describe this in any words that would make sense, even to myself, knowing only the warmth and overly joyous swelling I feel in my chest just from thinking about her. Increased infinitely, of course, when actually being with her, hugging her, kissing her…

And undoubtedly, the intimate relations are… shall I simply say, unmatched. Perhaps the emotional connection I feel towards her amplifying it, though, I am confident I would have enjoyed it nonetheless.

I shift my thoughts, cleaning the kitchen and setting the food aside for later, now feeling bored again. I am… not used to sitting idly, especially when I do not know when to expect her home.

What should I do with my time?...

She had shown me the house, and I had grown quite curious of her study, seeing it to be lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with old fashioned hard-copy novels. Some seemed much older than others, perhaps of the educational nature, while some were certainly leisure reading. A select few, I notice as I enter the room, had been loved quite liberally, as their edges were worn to almost nothing.

I cannot help but to smile, knowing her to be a strange blend between modern and old-fashioned; endearing her even further in my eyes.

With nothing better to do, I gently grab the closest, most worn book, thankful the binding seems fully intact as I sit and flip to the first page. Perhaps I would enjoy this one as well, or at the very least glimpse into what she found to be enjoyable in a story – curious, craving insight, I delve in.

Hours pass in a blink, my mind having been fully enveloped in the world described in the book, which I truthfully cannot say has ever happened before. I understand why she has read it repeatedly, and may have to ask her permission to borrow it so that I may finish for myself. Possibly, we could even discuss it in detail, as I am sure we each noticed little nuances the other may have missed. Seeing her point of view on a few scenarios could lead to interesting debate, something I find myself looking forward to.

A look to my watch earns a slight tightening of my lips, pursing them with a slight sigh.

Where could she be?

I hadn’t heard from her in quite some time…

She had said she would update me whenever possible, though I admittedly assumed it would surely have been handled by now – whatever it may be.

I replace the book, making my way to the kitchen to attempt to enjoy the food I’d prepared earlier, and perhaps occupy my mind.

The clock ticks by, minutes turning to another hour, two… my worry growing increasingly difficult to negate.

I can be patient no longer.

“V?” I feel my heart lurch as she answers, the awkwardness still present, but needing answers and not knowing who else to turn to…

“Goro?” She tilts her head, her face visible on my screen, “everything alright?”

“I need to ask a favor, V.”

“Hey,” she sighs, shaking her head slightly, “if this is about what I said, just forget all of it, alright? I’m happy for you, really, and I’m sure she’ll have you if you haven’t already talked to her, I was just-“

“V,” I raise my voice somewhat, hoping not to have offended, but needing her to stop rambling, “this is potentially urgent.”

“What’s wrong?”

I mutter her name, which seems to snap V into a more serious demeanor, “she… has not returned home yet, and it is quite late. I know this must sound like I am overreacting, perhaps I am, but I have not heard from her in several hours…”

“I haven’t heard from her either,” she seems to chew at her lip, “listen, she told me… that she-“ she sighs and holds the bridge of her nose, hesitation apparent.

“V?”

“She told me she went in for an unexpected meeting today,” she pauses again.

My agitation grows, albeit not with V specifically, my need for information pushing me while I draw a deep breath to retain composure, “V, if you could get to the point, it would be very much appreciated.”

“She had a meeting with Arasaka…” she divulges the information somewhat reluctantly, my body tensing, but she continues, “said they showed up demanding to talk to her so she went in, meant for it to be quick, in and out. Also said she didn’t give you all the detes yet, that she planned to tell you everything when she got home, when she knew more about what was going on. Still wanted someone to know though, in case… well… something ended up happening. But that wouldn’t, right?” She almost seems unsure herself, as if asking for reassurance while also attempting to tell me things would be fine, “’Saka wouldn’t be dumb enough to do something at her company… right?”

My heart pounds in my chest, half seething that she would not have told me immediately, half understanding and believing she would have discussed everything with me this evening – that she only meant to allow me a peaceful day without worry, when she herself did not know anything yet.

“Where is her building, V?”

“Goro…” she sighs, “I really don’t think-“

“V.” I raise my voice, warning her, my patience none existent at the moment.

“You shouldn’t be out in public, ‘specially not right now, with everything going on.”

“If you do not tell me, it will only delay my finding it, V,” I stand and grab my jacket, already making my way to the garage to borrow a vehicle, “I am going, whether you help me or not.”


	32. No Alternative Options

** Goro POV: **

I arrive outside V’s apartment, waiting in the vehicle as she is already standing along the curb. She hastily hops in, casting a warry glance at me as I immediately merge back onto the road.

“Really got you worked up,” she fastens her seatbelt, though I am unsure whether it is habit or telling of my impatient driving, “she could just be wrapped up with work, you know.”

“I would rather be safe,” I sigh as we approach a red light, reluctantly stopping to wait for it, “than sorry, V. I assure you, Arasaka is not an organization to be taken lightly, or underestimated.”

“To be fair, her company isn’t exactly a bunch of pencil pushers, Goro. I’m not sure how much you know, but I’d think she’s safe there.”

“I will feel better,” the light turns green, finally, allowing us to continue, V prompting me to turn right, “when I am certain of her safety. I am sure you can understand that, V.”

“Fair enough,” she shrugs, “to be honest, it is a little unusual. I’m sure it’s fine though.”

I hum in response, not feeling like anything more could be added without it being rather pointless ‘small talk’, which I undoubtedly am not in the mood for.

She directs me where to go, remaining rather silent otherwise, until we arrive at a large building of reflective glass windows. The interior is masked with the mirrored effect, a large corporate logo hanging at the top, my eyes squinting against the setting sun until it dips behind the tall structure, casting a glowing backdrop and long shadows across the streets where we park.

“Here we are,” she mutters, seeming half bitter.

I move to exit the vehicle, but she grips my arm, earning a quirked brow an admittedly annoyed glance from myself.

“Think I should go in first, I’ll call when I find her,” she opens her own door, swinging a leg out as she continues talking over her shoulder, “don’t need anyone recognizing you if nothing’s really goin’ on, right?”

With a deep exhale out my nose, I feel my jaw clench and slam the door shut, feeling slightly childish, but my worry continuing to grow with each second as I watch V jog across the lot to find the front door.

She disappears inside soon after, leaving me to twiddle my thumbs and imagine the worst possible scenarios, one after the other, my heart beating faster with each minute passing in silence.

Just as I grip the handle to go in after her, V reappears and hurriedly jogs back to the car, glancing around casually before reopening the passenger door to flop down in the seat.

She chews at her lip, my blood threatening to boil over, but I manage a calmer tone than I would have thought capable in my agitation, “so?...”

“She uh…” V leans forward, her hands covering her face before running them both anxiously back through her hair, still not looking my direction, “she’s not there.”

“Did you find Markus? He is her assistant, yes?”

She shakes her head, leaning back against the seat with a thud and dropping her arms unceremoniously at her lap, her brows knitting together, “I think we’ve got a major problem, Goro…”

“Where else could she be?” I shift the car into drive, intending to go wherever necessary with V’s guidance.

She simply sighs, her eyes finally meeting mine, my panic suddenly heightening at her expression – I had not seen such worry in her eyes since the incident with Hellman… “talked to someone inside, someone who knew who I was and was willing to give me the detes… what little they had anyway…”

“V,” I find a soft tone, feeling my chest tighten, my heart pounding in its cage while my stomach seems to turn in on itself, “I need you to tell me, right now, everything that you were told.”

“They took ‘em…” she slumps, her bottom lip quivering before she takes a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine once more, “’Saka took her and Markus, led ‘em right out the building and drove off with both like it was nothing. Just don’t understand why she went, everyone said she acted like nothin’ was wrong, like it was a regular business meeting getting taken to lunch or some shit like that – only reason no one tried to stop them.”

“Took them where, V?” My face feels hot, my hands already twitching with restraint, wanting only to punch the steering wheel but knowing it to be a fruitless endeavor.

“Don’t know,” she shakes her head, burying within her hands again, “fuck, Goro, what’re we ‘gonna do? Where the hell do we even begin? And why the **_fuck_** would she just walk right out with those **_fucking_** pieces of shit?!”

Her voice rises, cracking somewhat as her chest falls shakily.

I sigh and try to think, closing my eyes briefly as I attempt to sort through the anger and worry, down to the details that matter – hoping my memory of Arasaka to prove useful in some way.

With a groan of agitation I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles white around the metal as I take a deep breath and steady myself enough to avoid breaking something unnecessarily. I am sure she would not appreciate returning to find her vehicle in pieces due to my fit of rage, nor would I want to lose control in such a manner to begin with.

My emotions are running high, too close to the surface, still entirely unused to the attachment I have developed for her and all that it entails. I cannot fathom to lose her; I will not let it happen.

She may grow angry with me, but just in case my intuition proves to me correct, that is a chance I am willing to take… It would surely alert her system, my intruding via her link, but if anything were to happen to her I simply could not live with myself. The risk is too great, I have no other choice.

“I will have to track her,” I mutter, leaning back in my seat to pull up the network screen on my optics.

I can hear V shuffle, sitting up straighter, “how the fuck would you even do that? Don’t have access to your fancy connections anymore, Goro, can’t just call someone and run facial scans across the whole city. Shit went out the window when you bailed on ‘Saka.”

While feeling reluctant to admit it, I know there is no point in hiding things, she would find out soon enough, “I am linked to her network.”

“You’re…” she blinks slowly, as if processing the information, though I try not to notice, needing to focus as I wait for the link to trace her, “can’t say I ever thought she’d allow that… guess things are, uh- are a little more-“ she clears her throat and leans back again, leaving off to remain quiet rather than complete her sentence.

The silence is welcome though, my thoughts already swarming with too many outcomes and dreading the possible-

THERE!

The link narrows in, and I take off instantly, reflexes kicking in, old habits coming in handy as I weave through traffic.

V fumbles with her seatbelt, tightening it across herself while I follow the directions. It is a warehouse on the far side of town… the unsavory, abandoned type. I can only hope that I arrive in time.

The alternative… is not an option. Not something I can afford to even consider.


	33. The Warehouse

** Your POV: **

Your skull burns, throbbing with each beat of your heart, breath coming in ragged and labored gasps as warmth trickles along the side of your head to wet your hair against your skin.

Markus lays still beside you, unmoving but his chest still showing some life as it rises and falls slightly.

A more loyal associate couldn’t have been dreamt up, though he was mostly unaware of what was going on, he knew enough that he could have easily given information to the Arasaka men and potentially earned his freedom. He refused though, never speaking a word, only growing restless when they began working on you instead.

Though you’re certain of your own resolve, knowing you have a reason not to break, you find yourself torn between being proud of Markus and feeling incredibly guilty for him being put through this. The only reason they even brought him along was his refusal to let you leave on your own, wanting to stay by your side in case the worst were to happen.

His fears had been confirmed, of course, but he shouldn’t have to be subjected to the same torment as you for someone he doesn’t even truly know… Whether it be loyalty to the company, the cause, or you is unclear, but you’re grateful to have someone so reliable within your company – as well as at your side in a time like this.

You can only hope, that if you get out of this, you find some way to make it up to him… some way to thank him for not selfishly taking the easy way out – for valuing Goro’s freedom enough to endure the brutal physicality of these interrogations.

Another hit almost throws you to the side, being tied to the chair the only means of keeping yourself up. Fresh blood brings an almost welcome warmth, your body cold and shivering from so many ice buckets being dumped over you – over and over and over.

Perhaps it could have been avoided, if you had made a fuss at your building, if you had made them leave rather than willingly accompanying them. But to be honest, you would rather face things head on than risk sacrificing any of your employees – your friends, and admittedly many of whom felt like family at this point. To risk Markus was already too much… his sacrifice more than you were willing to pay as it is… you had hoped to be the only one questioned.

Though, this way, with neither of you speaking, they may genuinely believe you and send you on your way – worse for wear… but alive.

You clung to that bit of hope, knowing to be outnumbered and undeniably outgunned with zero chance of escaping like this…

Consciousness feels… faint? Maybe not the right word, but the only one that comes to mind in your blurred state. Things feel wrong, your vision slipping, something red flashing across your optics as you hunch over to stare at the floor.

The pain, the cold, the lights; it’s all too overwhelming to concentrate…

You try to limit these, curling up as much as you can in your restraints, focusing on a small crack in the floor in attempts to block out the rest… your optics flicker again, but this time you’re able to make out the message.

They had disconnected your communications, of course, but hadn’t thought to shut down your personal network, knowing it did you no good – no means of contacting anyone that way. However… the alert is for your tracking system…

You clench your eyes shut, mustering any strength you have left, knowing it to be Goro as he was the only one you’d ever given access to. He must have realized something was wrong…

He’s a smart man, someone who knows Arasaka well – too well to assume they’d sit idly by rather than take the path of action. You’d hoped a diplomatic resolve would be possible, that perhaps with time they’d give up the search and Goro would be able to live out in peace, that they’d resign to having had the wrong idea in focusing on you.

With each passing moment you grow more certain of the opposite.

While admittedly your own safety is of general concern, you find yourself more worried for Goro… he has no idea what he’s walking into if he attempts to find you… he would be arriving blind.

Surely, he would normally take the time to cover all bases and do proper recon – but this isn’t a normal situation, and you grow increasingly aware of how little time you may have.

The men are growing impatient, your hope of being released dwindling to a bleak outlook.

You need to get out of these restraints… but there’s too many men watching, they’d pin you instantly – if they didn’t just shoot you out of reflex…

A distraction would be key…

The warning flashes along your peripheral again, alerting you of the distance closing between you and the connected tracking system – aka Goro. He’ll be here soon…

You muster the last bit of strength, steadying yourself with a few deep breaths, taking the opportunity given in the lull of their torment as they argue amongst each other as to what they should do next.

The building is old, an abandoned warehouse, but as luck would have it the local youth and rebellious crowd apparently liked to party here rather frequently, leaving some speakers scattered here and there as if they had recently been run off before they could fully pack up the entirety of their gear. If you could just hack one of them…

Markus squints up at you hesitantly, his eyes barely visible from your hunched over position, but discrete enough so the others would still think him unconscious.

Fate must truly be on your side, the stars seeming to align perfectly as you give him a very shallow nod. He understands, thankfully, having worked a few ops with you before you started doing more administrative duties, giving him a good idea what your cues mean.

The cyberware along your forearms isn’t just pretty metal, the designs seeming aesthetic, but their purpose being more for functionality. It doesn’t take long to cut through your restraints, they honestly hadn’t taken too much care in binding you, knowing their numbers to be enough to keep you in place regardless – Markus not being bound at all. Your eyes meet again, he sees the slight red flash across your optics and steadies himself, having an idea of what’s to come.

Music blares throughout the warehouse, echoing off every surface and making everyone jump, clutching at their ears as the volume nearly deafens each occupant instantly.

It distracts them of course, but unfortunately it also disorients you in the process – a concussion being the likely culprit, but you don’t have time to deal with this right now…

Markus moves from the floor with both speed and force, grappling with the nearest Arasaka man and grabbing his weapon, hastily shooting him in the head as you manage to lunge forward to grab a second. You’re a bit more clumsy, admittedly, still struggling with your senses against the blare of the music, many of the men having gone off to see where it was coming from and the gun shot having blended in to the heavy bassline being the only saving grace keeping you alive.

Another head shot as a third man takes notice, Markus laying covering fire as you scramble to get behind some semblance of shelter, rounding the corner into a long hallway and leaning out to lay cover of your own when you hear his own slowing. He runs in past you, slamming his back against the wall to reload, chest heaving strenuously as he glances over at you silently.

You give a single nod, turning to press your own back against the wall and use these few precious seconds to compose yourself. Things seem to brighten, coming into focus as you push all else out of your head. There’s no time to be hurt right now, no time to rest or allow any of your injuries to slow you down – that would mean dying, and you’re pretty sure V and Goro both would have a few choice words if you let that happen…

No, you have too much to live for.

You turn off the warning signals, needing to ignore everything for now and focus only on the situation at hand – surviving. This is something you’re good at, something that helped you make a name for yourself, the reason you’ve been able to build up your company in the way that you did. This is what you do… you just have to get out of your own head, and fucking **_do it_**.

You instantly headshot one of the men who dares try to enter the hall after you, giving a curt nod to Markus before jogging further down to find a vantage point before too many get wise to the change in events.

The music stops…

While relieving to your own head, you and Markus slow, needing to stay quiet as you find cover enough to see what’s going on. There’s still way too many of them… but you managed to take out a few, which helps – a little…

They’ve found the bodies though, the empty chair and you two clearly missing. Anger being spit in every direction as the guy seemingly in charge yells for the rest to “find them!”

Your heart lurches in your chest as the location alerts to be within the area. Goro must be right outside the building somewhere…

You can’t let the men know he’s coming, any chance would be instantly squandered without the element of surprise…

With a light nudge to Markus and a quick nod, you both move slowly, trying to work quick but without being seen as you take up positions at opposite ends of the floor – as much as cover will allow, that is.

Keeping line of sight relatively good between the two of you, you share another single nod before both opening fire, laying enough noise and even hitting a few of the men. As good a distraction as any, given the options.

** Goro POV: **

The warehouse is unsuspecting enough, but the amount of vehicles parked outside… all unmarked with deeply tinted windows. I recognize them even without any logos to give away their true identity…

Music blares from inside, irritating my own ears, and I am sure near deafening to any within the walls.

I am uncertain what to think of this, glancing to V quietly as we cautiously approach. Even though we are unlikely to be heard, I do not want to risk being seen, or caught in the open if someone were to exit at an inopportune time.

Just as I had worried, the music cuts abruptly, leaving a ringing silence in its wake as my ears adjust to the drastic change. Or perhaps it is simply my strain in trying to hear anything inside…

The tracking shows her to be nearby, somewhere within, but I am unable to read her vitals. She must have turned them off, which does not bode well for my growing concern… The signal moves though, which allows my heart a lurch of hope, my chest tightening as my need to gain entrance increases.

I cannot rush this though… cannot risk blowing the one chance I may have at getting her out.

We circle the area as quietly as possible, looking for weak points, trying to gauge the situation inside. There is a small, but useful hole in one side, large enough for myself to crawl through and V to easily trail behind, while also providing some cover to keep us hidden as we slowly peer around the corner from our crouched hiding.

There are many men…

An empty chair surrounded by large buckets of ice water, the floor… I clench my jaw, anger rising as I recognize the substance to undoubtedly be blood covering the surrounding area.

Before I can make a single judgement about my next move, gunfire rings out from the opposite end of the warehouse, two separate but simultaneous sounds clearly meant as a distraction.

The men fall for it, hastily charging for cover while also attempting to move closer.

It must be her, she must have been alerted to my presence when I arrived. She was drawing them near herself in attempts to give me the element of surprise… I am unsure whether to feel proud or angry.

While I am sure she knows how to handle herself to some extent, I cannot allow myself to dwell on the potential extent of her injuries, nor any possible outcome other than my bringing her home safely.

I motion to V to follow me forward, pressing in with my weapon already drawn.


	34. Rescue Mission

** Your POV: **

You can’t quite count how many are left, your head still throbbing, but they seem to cover the area with ease, searching with purpose. 20? 30 maybe?

Sure, it isn’t a whole army, but they’re all Arasaka… all equipped with the latest cyberware to varying degrees.

You and Markus make a point of shifting between bouts of fire, doing your best to keep the men occupied and unaware of Goro’s encroaching presence blipping on your screen like a radar. He must have seen by now that you turned off your system function alerts… you’re almost certain to be in for a stern lecturing – but you’ll have to get out of this first, then it will be a welcome conversation to have.

Their ranks seem to be thinning, but you can’t be sure if it’s from your own damage or if Goro had begun taking down the stragglers.

This brings a new glimmer of hope, giving you the fresh air of confidence you needed to dart to a new cover area and get a better look.

Markus keeps up the distraction, but is undoubtedly running low on ammo… as are you. This can’t go on for too much longer without either making a break for it or obtaining new weapons.

You peer along the railing, glad for the moment of reprieve to catch your breath and work on a plan of action, trying to get a better idea of just how many men are left.

Two figures catch your attention… Goro and V make their way somewhat stealthily through the warehouse, indeed taking out anyone who draws too near.

Goro repeatedly has to hold V by the back of her shirt, preventing her from rushing in ‘guns ablaze’ as she would usually prefer. It brings a small smile to your face, grinning even through the pain is sends throughout your skull.

You might actually make it out of here…

** Goro POV: **

V proves to be quite the nuisance, but I had anticipated this, having fought alongside her before. I know her movements well enough to grip the back of her shirt in any instance she seems ready to pounce forward.

We cannot risk giving away our position so fully. I am still unsure if the men even know we are here, still seeming fully distracted by the continued shifting of the gun fire.

Surely, they assume it to be her and Markus, having no reason to assume any reinforcements would arrive.

I motion to V to move to the next means of cover, furthering our advancement and allowing me to grip one of the men from behind, silently taking him out via his neck.

Admittedly, I do not enjoy killing these men, knowing all too well their deep-rooted belief that they fight for the right cause and devote their lives to the job. Just as I had… But I cannot risk leaving any of them alive, not when her life is the one in question here.

V seems equally concerned, though increasingly impatient, her twitchy behavior and reluctance to stay out of sight steadily becoming a larger problem.

Though, I cannot blame her. If there were a way to reach her quicker, I would happily do so.

Exactly how many men are here is unclear, leaving me to remain more cautious, even in my desperate state of emotions. There could be more hiding anywhere.

While having a general idea, based on the vehicles parked outside, it is also entirely possible that more had been delivered via alternative transportation.

It is simply too much to risk.

Especially in knowing how much Arasaka likes to display their overwhelming influence and power, I would not find it surprising to find an absurdly unnecessary amount of men rummaging around the warehouse.

V seems to notice something in the loft section, her gaze focusing near the railing. I cannot risk a scan, it would certainly alert everyone nearby, but I squint to focus the enhanced vision of my optics which at the very least would give me an idea of-

She **_is_** alive.

I give an audible sigh of relief, every inch of my body tensing, wanting to rush to her immediately. But I cannot risk this… it would be much smarter, much more effective to continue pressing on. I could still save her, get us all out of this, but I must be tactful about it rather than impulsive.

V, however, seizes the opportunity of my being distracted, using it to exactly what I had been working to prevent this entire time…

My fingers just barely miss her, grasping at air as she rushes out from behind our cover and opens fire, darting to the next cover before doing it again. She makes progress, I will admit that much, the gunfire of a second shooter I assume to be Markus helping in keep men from swarming her.

I curse under my breath, readying myself briefly before peering over to take out as many men as possible, then moving to the next bit of cover similarly to what V had done. I of course do not fully agree with this course of action, but also find myself not opposed, wanting to be done with this as quickly as possible and finding luck to be very much on our side as we manage to thin the ranks rapidly.

The element of surprise had helped immensely, but is gone now. We rely only on skill here, firing between the rest of our enemy’s own attacks.

While not without our own scrapes and bruises, surely, we are alive and in one piece when I make it over to the far side, situating myself near V and Markus.

I glance to the rafters, finding her to be gone… worry taking root in my chest once more.

She is nowhere to be seen, but perhaps this is good. If I cannot see her, maybe this means she has found safety and currently resides there.

There is no time to dwell, several men still posing a threat.

V seems to gasp for air, crouching near my side, gripping her head.

The chip must be bother her again… perhaps Johnny’s intrusive words distracting her more than usual.

She clenches her teeth and reloads her weapon, a resolve setting in her features that I had seen before and know all too well; she is about to do something very stupid.

I grip her shoulder as she stands, pinning her to the cargo container we take refuge by, “I know that look, V, do not-“

She shrugs me off, darting away in haste, but I am surprised to find that she does not rush towards the men and instead makes her way to a nearby dark corner beneath the stairway.

My heart lurches, seeing V hug another figure… knowing it to be her.

I cannot help but to rush forward as well, followed in suit by Markus who lays one last bit of cover fire before tossing his assumably now empty weapon aside.

It is dark, but my optics adjust and I can make out her blood soaked form… my stomach churns, hands gripping my gun tighter in my anger.

To know they had done this to her… any remorse I had felt initially killing these men now completely gone, leaving seething rage to burn in its place.

I dare not allow myself to hold her yet, knowing I would be unable to leave her side if I did so… and still having much work to be done.

She tosses a new weapon to Markus, seeming too focused on the issue at hand to be slowed down by her injuries. I can only hope they are not as bad as they look… but will not have the opportunity to know for sure until we are safe.

That she is standing, and able to raise her weapon, is telling enough for now. It has to be.

We all 4 position, V and I taking lead since we are clearly the less injured.

I had been certain, with how many men we had cleared out, that we would have very little issue in finishing off the rest.

However, in the haste of wanting to escape, I offer an alternative, “we came in through a gap in the wall, if we can make it back, we can-“

“If you’re saying we bail out through the same hole, rather than stay and fight the last of these fuckers,” Markus seems as if he will oppose my solution, but his eyes soften, shoulders slumping slightly in exhaustion, “then please point the way.”

The women both nod in agreement, V keeping her eyes glued to her friend – which I appreciate greatly, not being able to afford my own focus to be on her at the moment, no matter how much I wanted to.

It is on the opposite end of the building, but we have a good line of cover to reach it, and the men’s numbers had drastically reduced.

It is possible…


	35. Warnings

** Goro POV: **

We are almost there, the gap in sight and the vehicle already parked on the other side, waiting for our escape. The rest could be worried about at a later time, my concern for her health growing with each passing second that I cannot inspect her or read her vitals – which she still has switched off, another topic of discussion I wish to visit after we are safe.

A shot rings out and Markus nearly falls to the floor, kneeling with a stumble and an audible groan. He has been shot in the back, his breath increasingly labored as he struggles to stand upright.

“Go,” he gasps between clenched teeth, “I’ll cover, just get her outta here.”

I am grateful to this man, even in barely knowing him, and find myself hesitant to leave him, but there is no other option. Before I can accompany him myself, V grips my arm and tugs me towards the wall, leading me back to the reason I am here in the first place.

As my eyes land on her I remember fully my priority to escort her to safety. Unfortunately, all else is second; concerns I cannot afford to weigh against the value I hold on her life specifically. V knows this, and seems to agree, helping to cover as we make our way out of the gap.

She is moving on her own, but seems very disoriented, her focus being driven purely by adrenaline I am sure… I want to lend her a hand, wrap my arms around her… but I need to keep my weapon ready, just in case.

My thoughts go the Markus, not seeing any movement behind us, the gap remaining empty for too long…

She shifts back towards the building, but V thankfully stops her and motions for her to go to the car.

“I’ll go see if I can get him out, stay with Goro,” V gives a hesitant glance to me, and a curt nod.

I know this to mean she wants us to leave without her, but I will give her a moment of time before doing so… in the spirit of hope and because I genuinely do not want to leave either of them behind unless we absolutely have to.

V disappears within the building once more, my weapon at the ready, positioned between the opening and where I had last seen her leaned against the car. I did not think I would have to watch over her, as I do with V…

Did not even stop to consider that she would run back inside once the gun fire started… It would be foolish, and she has proven to be a woman of considerate logic and tact.

However, a scream from V is all it takes for her to rush past me.

I want to scream after her, yell for her to come back, but cannot risk alerting anyone.

My anger absolutely boiling at the surface only quelled with an equal level of fear.

I cannot lose her…

** Your POV: **

You reluctantly concede in following them out, not wanting to leave Markus after he was just shot, but knowing him to have gotten out of worse situations before. V tugs you along, coaxing you out the gap in the wall to stand near a vehicle you swear is familiar – likely snagged from your garage in their hurry to find you.

Goro keeps his weapon trained at the opening, only glancing at you briefly from time to time.

You don’t take it personally, knowing his skillset and his training likely tell him the best way to help is to get you out safely, then worry about everything else afterwards. To be honest, you’re inclined to agree.

Emotions would just get in the way right now, make you impulsive and ruin your chance at making a clean break for it.

But… the longer the gap remains empty… Markus nowhere in sight… you take a small step forward, only to have V stop you in your tracks.

“I’ll go see if I can get him out, stay with Goro,” she motions over to him, giving him a knowing nod which you can’t say reassures you in any way.

You know her too well, having been the one to teach her most everything she knows. This doesn’t bode well for her, your heart pounding in your chest as she disappears back into the building.

It’s hard enough not running in after her while knowing she’s fine, trusting in her and Markus’ abilities to handle themselves.

But… as gun fire rings out and a blood curdling scream rips from V’s throat, the sound barely recognizable as hers, even to your ears…

Your legs carry you as fast as they can, your subconscious taking over before you even truly register Goro rushing to stop you.

It’s no use.

You’re on a mission. Like a mama bear hearing the cries of her cubs nearby… your sister needs you, and damn anyone who gets in your way.

V would probably love this though, seeing the side of you that you’d always tried to hide from her, the side she always tried to follow suit with even after years of you begging her to find a different career.

You waste no time in being quiet, no time in hiding, unsheathing a knife from one of the fallen men when your weapon runs out and cutting free his belt of explosives.

There’s no room for pain here, no room for second guessing yourself or worrying about what might happen. A group of the men cluster together, prompting you to rip the band off the belt and send it flying their direction, hastily taking cover for a brief moment while the explosion shifts everything within its radius, the compression of air knocking you down only for a split second before you regain your footing.

Your eyes land on V, gunshots ringing out behind you as Goro surely follows the path of blood you had left in your wake – whether it be yours or the men’s, you’re honestly not sure anymore.

She limps closer, slumping over a barrel as a man readies himself to deliver the final blow, a headshot from you decommissioning him on the spot as you rush forward to grab her. Every inch of your body screams, but a booster shot silences the voices long enough for you to wrap V’s arm around your shoulder, helping her up as you make your way closer to Goro.

He slices someone’s throat with ease, tossing them aside and glaring in your general direction, picking up a fresh gun off the floor and surveying the area as you hastily make your way towards the exit.

Markus is nowhere to be found, the warehouse growing still, the sounds of your feet shuffling along now the only noise even as you strain yourself to concentrate on the light filtering through the opening.

Your vision blurs, making you blink and shake your head, gripping V’s arm tighter and coaxing her to move faster.

Markus…

His body lay atop a pile of others, seeming to have gone down taking plenty with him…

The booster is wearing off though, there will be time to mourn later.

You make it outside, nearly limping yourself as you struggle to hold V up, grateful for the reprieve the car offers as you shift her weight to lean there.

Goro, assumably doing a sweep of the area, takes a moment to exit, his figure filling the opening before stepping out into the dimly lit gravel lot. His feet crunch against the rocks, no longer caring about being quiet, his focused expression turning to a scowl as it lands on the two of you.

“What the hell were you doing?” He aims it more your direction than hers, but you lower your eyes, clenching your jaw against the waves of pain.

The booster was worn off, the adrenaline of the moment gone, nothing left to focus on to keep your mind from realizing your own injuries. It takes everything just to keep breathing, your hand finding the edge of the car to hold yourself steady as V’s brows knit, meeting your eyes.

“Goro, I don’t think she’s-“

“Hush, V,” he waves a hand of warning to her, “you should not have rushed in like that, but you,” he focuses his attention on you again, “how could you so willingly throw yourself into danger like this? You could have been killed. What if I had not been able to track you? What if you ran in there again and died instantly?” He throws his hands up, voice rising, “does **_none_** of this matter to you?”

“Goro…” V attempts to draw his attention again, seeing his anger rise, “GORO.”

His eyes land on her, seething with agitation towards her as well, but when she glances back to you, his eyes follow.

Your knees buckle, his arms being around you instantly, having lunged forward to catch you.

Your optics flicker, glitching the image here and there as you struggle to stay conscious… you just don’t have any strength left… you’re so tired… so cold…

His warm arms help you into the car carefully, V getting in the driver’s seat as he remains with you in the back. Your system throws up an unauthorized scan warning, alerting you to his hacking of your systems, but you don’t bother blocking it – no use even if you had the energy, which you don’t.

He reactivates your system function screen to read your vitals, critical errors pop up all over the place, flashing over both of your screens as you feel each breath becoming more difficult than the last.

“Stay with me,” he mutters, his hands cupping your face, “please, just stay awake. V,” he growls over his shoulder, “drive faster.”

“I’m going as fast as I can, Vik is waiting for us,” she takes a sharp corner, but you don’t notice, your vision already going dark.

Goro calls your name, sounding panicked but distant.

Everything fades, warmth flooding your body and a comfortably calm settling in like laying in bed at the end of a long day.


	36. What is Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***mentions of blood***

** V POV: **

Don’t know why she had to run in after me, why she’d risk everything like that. Told Goro to fucking take her and leave, thought he’d understand my little head nod I gave him.

I’m dying anyway, wanted to go out doing something that mattered, saving someone I care about.

Now look at her…

Dying in the back seat of her own fucking car while Goro panics and I drift around the corner to Vik’s clinic, hoping we got here in time.

He’s waiting already, rushing to the car as I run to the side and help Goro shift her from the seat. She’s unconscious… not a good sign. Feeling all too familiar rushin’ into Vik’s like this… was with Goro then too… can only hope this visit goes a little better…

We get her inside, Goro carrying her, Vik propping her head up and guiding her to lay along the chair, me trailing behind in too sorry a state to be any help.

Vik motions for Goro to leave, but he doesn’t budge, staying by her side with a cold glare.

“Goro…” I lay a gentle hand on his shoulder, “let’s go in the other room, let the doc work in peace. Don’t wanna see all this anyway.”

“I am not leaving her.”

“I understand,” Vik doesn’t take his eyes off his screen, running diagnostics on her laundry list of failure notifications, “but trust me when I say I need my full concentration for this, whether you’re up to see it or not, I don’t need you in here distracting me.”

He’s blunt, but Goro nods softly, reluctantly tearing himself away from her to follow me into the front area with Misty.

She looks into my problems, nothing too serious, the whole dying thing puts it all into perspective – honestly had worse injuries on regular jobs.

But Goro…

Misty hands him a change of clothes, motioning to the bathroom cautiously, her gentle demeanor doing her best to ease his discomfort in realizing he’s covered in blood.

Wouldn’t be the first time, even just in the time I’ve known him, but this is different… this is **_her_** blood.

I can see it in his eyes, the way his face drains of color… never seen him so… hopeless.

** Goro POV: **

The woman, Misty parts from V long enough to shuffle around in one of the cabinets, withdrawing a small pile of clothing which she graciously sets next to me. She is gentle, as I remember her being last time I was unfortunate enough to need help here, her hand motioning lightly towards the bathroom door with a soft but apologetic smile.

I… had not taken the time to realize, though now I am not sure how I had ignored it for so long…

My clothes stick uncomfortably to my body, the warmth fading, turning cold and uncomfortable as the red liquid permeating my suit and covering my hands begins to thicken.

My chest clenches, stomach turning in on itself as I barely manage a shallow nod. I am not one to be squeamish, my life having required becoming comfortable in similar states, and certainly having been covered in blood before.

But this… is her blood… and she is in there on the operating table with a glaringly long list of critical warnings.

Why did she ignore them? Why did she have to be so stubborn?

I clench my jaw against the prickle along the brim of my eyes, my legs carrying me to the bathroom where I lock the door and drop the clothes unceremoniously on the table. With some reluctance, I place my hands along the cold surface of the counter, leaning forward slightly before I raise my eyes to meet my own reflection.

The color has gone from my face, undoubtedly, though speckled somewhat with flecks of red… My entire suit thick with the coagulating substance that makes my stomach seize.

I hunch over the sink, feeling bile rise in my throat.

Breathing deep through my nose I manage to hold it down, but the blood smearing along each surface my hands touch shifts my thoughts back to her fighting for her life in the next room, and I cannot hold it any longer.

I feel foolish, like a child who cannot hold his stomach his first time in the field. But my concern for her is overwhelming, the thought of losing her… unbearable.

How cruel it would be to find someone who makes me believe in fate, who makes me want to be a better man just to feel deserving of her affections, only to lose her so suddenly… so violently… in a fault all my own with my past looming over me. Would I ever be free of them? To live my own life?

If she pulls through this… will I constantly have to look over my shoulder and worry of the dangers I am putting her through just by loving her?

I had… not said it before, even to myself… not fully…

But I do.

I have desperately, undoubtedly, irretrievably fallen madly in love with her.

I would gladly trade places with her in a heartbeat, no consideration needed.

But that is not how things work… I can only sit and do nothing, my idle mind running wild and frying my nerves with each scenario playing out, hope being the only thing left.

The change of clothes is casual, but I honestly do not mind. Being dry is what is important, the other immediately being thrown in the trash on my way back to sit in the front room.

I cannot, however, help myself as I lean an ear close to the door to the operating room.

What I expected to hear, I am unsure, but the desperate curses of the Ripperdoc do little to calm my anxiety…

Renewed with a heightened sense of panic, I return to sit in the front room, leaning forward to rest my head in my hands and plea with fate to do one last favor – promising anything in return.

I cannot lose her…

Minutes drag by, passing like hours… but the hours… those feel like entire days of time sitting in wait…

I am ashamed in returning to the bathroom several more times, my nerves working against me as I eventually run out of stomach contents to expel and simply dry heave until my eyes water. To be honest, I am uncertain if it is from the physical act of vomiting, or if I am simply too overwhelmed to continue holding back the tears.

My emotions… my body… my heart… everything aches.

I wash my face and look to the mirror again, barely recognizing what looks back… tears brimming again as my back meets the wall with a light ‘thud’ before I slide down to sit there, resting my arms along my raised knees and squeezing my eyes shut against the pain.

Though I am sure V is hurting as well, struggling to cope with the silence, waiting with nothing to do but glance repeatedly to the clock and pace restlessly in the small room… I admittedly am glad she has opted to leave me be.

The silence in regards to news is unbearable, but space to myself is what I need until we are able to see her again… until the Ripperdoc confirms or denies her state of wellbeing…

I do not think I am in any state to hold conversation, being unable to compose myself in the slightest, and with our history I would assume this to translate to anger – an emotion I do not wish to add on top of the rest.

The door cracks open slowly just as I walk past it, the Ripperdoc wiping his hands, a solemn expression on his face read even through downcast eyes as he closes it behind him and leans to rest against the wall there.

I do not recognize that I am holding my breath until his eyes look up to meet mine, giving a very faint smile as he exhales a shaky laugh, “looks like she’s gonna pull through.”

My chest nearly explodes when I finally take a breath, feeling every ounce of exhaustion hit me at once while also flooding with warmth at knowing she is alive.

V darts around the corner, apparently having heard, tears streaming down her own face much as I am sure mine resembles. She rushes forward, nearly tackling the Ripperdoc in a forceful hug before he can escape, soon to be joined by Misty.

They all seem to truly care about her, and I appreciate that greatly… thankful that she was in such good hands, knowing anything less may have resulted in a vastly different outcome…

Wordlessly, we all file through the door, the sound of the heartrate monitor washing a strange sense of calm and relief to ease my frayed nerves, my anxiety still causing my own heart to pound mercilessly in my chest as I approach the bedside…

Seeing her like this… frail and injured… I had hoped to never witness it again, and especially not to this extent…

I glance to her vitals displayed on a nearby screen, not needing to use my own system as the Ripperdoc had left everything up – she seems stable and in recovery.

I can allow myself to sit, feeling my body finally relax slightly after remaining tense for so long.

V sits at the opposite side, both taking one of her hands in our own.

My life had changed so drastically since meeting V, and even though I may have dispized her for it initially, thinking she was a curse sent to plague me and take everything I had ever worked for – I truly see the strings of fate… She was brought into my life to make me lose everything, yes, but only so that I may question all that I had and come to understand what really matters…

So that I may understand myself, and what I really want.

And to lead me to her…

Though I would never have believed it even a short year ago, how drastically things would change, I find myself looking to the future and wondering how I ever existed without her.

Were it not for V, even being a massive pain in the ass… I would not be where I am, would not have found love or felt as though I had finally found where I belong.

I find myself thinking back to the first conversation we all 3 had together, when I was first brought to meet her, when V explained the grave truth of the situation… My eyes briefly cast to V, seeing her falling asleep in what has to be the most uncomfortable chair, and I wonder to myself if I should bother asking as well.

Arasaka had not helped, so it may not bode well for me in asking her to attend another set of doctors, but… for both my sake and the sake of the woman I love, I do not wish to lose a friend, especially not one so integral to having woven fate together for us.

Perhaps, with some time passing to allow for recovery… we would be able to convince V to seek further treatment.

Perhaps-

I feel a light squeeze along my hand, drawing my attention instantly to her form along the medical chair, seeing her eyes flicker somewhat and struggle to blink open.

My heart lurches, standing hastily and almost knocking over the chair beneath me as I lean over to check her vitals once more. She is ready stable… a sigh of relief parting my lips softly before I glance down to her, finally seeing the beautiful color of her eyes again.

If I had not known any better, I would say she was simply waking from a long nap, the sleep still heavy along her features, her mind clearly still foggy as she blinks again and scrunches her nose against the light. Though dull already, I am sure her head is ringing at every sensation.

I want to kiss her, to hold her, to tell her it will all be fine and that she can go back to sleep. But I do not wish to risk causing her more pain… her hand squeezing along mine as her eyes steadily shut again giving me a slight sense of comfort before her head lulls sleepily to the side.

“Sleep well, my love,” I mutter softly, pressing her knuckles gently to my lips as I return to my seat, watching over her vitals and skimming through the extensive list of notes the Ripperdoc had made.

Even in knowing she is on the path to recovery… I cannot help the shudder I feel along my spine knowing the pain she must have been in, that she managed to ignore for so long… what she was put through by the very men of the company I once served with blind loyalty…


	37. Considerations

Your eyes flicker slightly, the bright light assaulting your already blurry vision and increasing the ringing sensation throbbing through your skull and ears.

Thankfully, it gradually subsides, leaving you to realize the room was very dimly lit, recognizing it to be Vik’s clinic.

A light squeeze along your hand draws your attention, Goro rubbing small circles along the skin there as he watches the monitors displaying your vitals. There’s a list of injuries pulled up, panning down slowly as he scrolls through them, undoubtedly making mental note of how harshly to scold you.

You move to sit up, a mistake earning immediate regret as pain shoots throughout your body and coaxes a low groan from your lips, alerting Goro to your being awake.

He shifts immediately, lightly cupping your face and helping to shift you enough to regain some sense of comfort before glancing around to gain Vik’s attention.

V begins to stir, only just now realizing she was asleep at your side as she groggily mumbles and rubs her eyes, though seeming to perk up when seeing your state of consciousness.

Vik rushes over, checking you over before turning to the screens to run some diagnostics, Goro and V both watching his movements with undivided interest.

Your own attention falls of Goro, his eyes … seeming dull for the first time, even in the brilliant coloring of his optics they seem lacking the usual life behind them, the darkness beneath alluding to his having not slept at all since bringing you in. It makes you sad, admittedly, to think of the stress you had clearly put him through, being the first time you’ve ever truly seen him look ragged since first meeting him. He usually carries himself in such a suave and composed way, it almost breaks your heart to see him like this… crumbled and worn down, knowing it was likely he had not left your side even to eat and having no idea how long you were out for.

To have woken up at all is honestly a bit of a surprise.

You didn’t want to die, obviously, having so much to live for, but were unsure how things would play out when the extent of the situation was made clear upon reviving your system notifications. The sheer amount of critical failures was enough to have sent your head spinning, even if you hadn’t already been immensely dizzy.

It brings you no joy to imagine what he must have been through, what he must have thought in seeing you like that – how you must still look… You hate being weak, almost as much as you hate seeing those you care about in pain, especially when you’re the cause of it.

Things should have gone differently, but you can’t think about that now; what’s done is done, and the consequences are here whether you like them or not. You can only hope the fallout is minimal, and that you can recover the pieces from here without losing too much face with either of them.

What people think of you has been of little consequence throughout your life, but V and Goro are the rare exceptions… their opinions being held in high regard, you hope they understand your actions and don’t judge too harshly.

Goro’s eyes fall on you, noticing you study him and offering a gentle smile, one of his hands lightly caressing along your cheek before tucking a stray bit of hair back behind your ear. The light gradually seems to return, color finding his cheeks again as if the worry was beginning to lift and allow him to return to his usual self.

You feel your own cheeks turn up slightly, lifting your hand to hold his in place along your cheek, closing your eyes as you lean into his touch and concentrate on each steady breath in and out.

The pain comes in dull throbs throughout your entire body, an occasional sharp stab shooting through unannounced and causing you to flinch or crease your brow momentarily, though certainly not unnoticed by the others as Vik rummages around in his cabinets to retrieve a shot.

It does it job, almost instantly dulling the pain and relaxing your body, your senses fading along with the ache as you unwillingly drift off once more.

You had wanted to stay awake, to talk with them, but you need to heal… need to rest.

** Goro POV: **

She holds my hand in place along her cheek, leaning in and closing her eyes, her nose scrunching briefly, brows knitting together before her features again relax. The pain must be returning…

Before I can say anything, Vik has already begun to filter through his shots to find what he is looking for, returning to administer it promptly.

Her eyes flutter once more, meeting mine with another gentle smile before slowly fading back to sleep.

I am relieved for a variety of reasons, first and foremost being her climbing health indicating a speedy recovery and little room for further complications over the course of the next few days. I am grateful to Viktor, having misjudged him as a street Ripperdoc initially but finding him to be increasingly worthy of a much higher title.

Were we forced to go anywhere else the outcome would likely have been different… an instance I cannot even allow myself to think about, especially not now that she has shown to pull through.

I must focus on the positives and being here for her recovery to help in any way possible – hopefully I will be more useful in this way, than I was while Vik was working on her.

The feeling of sitting with nothing to do but worry and wait did not suit me, the acid of my stomach still churning slightly even with the fortunate turn of events having quelled much of my nerves.

She seems peaceful again, her features relaxing as she drifts past consciousness once more.

I rest in the chair, her hand in mine, watching as Viktor flips through his screens to check through her readings for what I believe is the third time in a row. The care he shows for her warms my chest, knowing the capable hands she is in, and being assured further of her likely full recovery.

It is strange to think of how close I was to losing her… my body growing tired from obvious lack of sleep and the unfortunate emptiness of my stomach, not trusting it has yet settled enough to attempt eating anything. Nor do I want to part from her in search of food to begin with.

I allow my head to lull forward, resting along the edge of her chair as V had done earlier, feeling my senses dull as my body almost forces me towards slumber. I can withhold no longer, knowing I need my own rest, and trusting in the hands caring for her enough to drift over the edge.

Sleep is welcome, her presence and the steady beat of her heartrate monitor keeping me calm long enough for dreams to find me.

Her smiling face greeting me, imagining the potential for what is to come for us, what I wish for us. Though Arasaka is an element I know needs to be dealt with, my mind can only focus on her, and hope that when she recovers she will be receptive to what I feel needs to be said.

The realizations of the depths of my feelings being something I now find necessary to share with her…

When the time is right.


	38. Recovery

You get flashes of consciousness here and there, not really being fully present enough to get too much from your surroundings as Vik keeps your medication in a steady stream, only bringing you around to check motor function for brief periods before the next dose.

Unfortunately, your mind doesn’t get a restful reprieve in being unconscious… instead your dreams are plagued with living through both V and Goro’s deaths repeatedly… being forced to watch them suffer with no ability to save them, hopelessly arriving too late every time.

The images sear into your brain, undoubtedly something you’ll see with each and every closing of your eyes for some time to come, even when recovery finally finds you.

Though, perhaps with some luck, Vik would know a way to make you forget this blip of time. A medication of some fashion to allow these dreams… these nightmares, to remain locked away in the recesses of your mind rather than continuing to dredge their memory around with you.

** 3 days later: **

** Goro POV: **

I exit from the shower, my gratitude towards Viktor increasing more each day as he has allowed me to stay in the clinic whilst she continues to recover. She is doing well, the medications enhancing her own ability to heal, expediting the process exponentially.

Though I refused to leave her side regardless of my own comfort, having access to a means of upholding good hygiene and a steady supply of food thanks to Misty has made the stay as enjoyable as possible given the circumstances.

V makes regular visits as well, though I am relieved she does not also insist on staying. We seem to be on good terms, but I do not wish for things to be uncomfortable between us with the last confessions we shared.

I also do not know that I could keep from updating her on the new developments, and am almost certain that V would want to hear it from her friend… something just feels right in waiting for them to have that conversation without me.

A glance over to the far chair shows her to still be peacefully unconscious, though her face occasionally scrunches and heartrate picks up slightly, making me wonder what her mind must be focusing on – what dreams she may be experiencing in this time. Does she dream at all?

Viktor will be arriving soon, he had closed the clinic, canceling all appointments until further notice to focus solely on her recovery, but he would still spend nearly the entirety of each day watching over her in case of any change. His concern even extended in his absence, having hooked up an alert to sound at his home if her vitals were to show anything unusual.

Even being his job, I do see his commitment and loyalty to her, their relationship being important and her life of clear value in his eyes. When this is all done, I will have to find some way to thank him.

I am certain he will see it as unnecessary, being that he seems to do it for his own reasons, near-familial bonds between them visible to everyone instantly, but I will find a way… surely, there is something I can do, even if it takes me some time to figure it out.

Perhaps, once she is awake, she will even be able to help guide me in the right direction, knowing him so much better than I do.

Just as I had grown accustomed, Viktor arrives a few short minutes past 7, his routine having been established over the last few days to enter the door rather early and immediately move to her side. He checks her vitals, muttering a soft ‘goodmorning’ in my general direction but leaving no room to confuse his priority in any way.

Viktor is friendly enough, especially given the circumstances of our meeting and the admittedly awkward air between us as he has undoubtedly recognized my affections for her with little trouble. I am certain he is protective over her much the same as a brother would be, seeing me to be dangerous and bad for her health – not that I can blame him… she is, after all, in his clinic because I had come into her life…

I can only hope that in time he can accept me, for I would hate a close friend of hers to view our relationship in a negative light. It would not dissuade me, nothing would, but it would make me much happier in knowing those who mattered most to her could see how deeply I care for her, and the high regard in which I value everything about her.

This leaves me to ponder, though somewhat reluctant to allow my mind to focus on it too much, in reference to V’s confession. I do not wish to drive a wedge between them, and truly believe V to simply be confused… but I do think a clarifying conversation will be necessary, perhaps after they have had time to talk amongst each other first…

Communication is key, no matter how uncomfortable it may seem and how much I dread the thought of it.

“Goro,” Viktor’s uneasy voice rips me from my thoughts, instantly drawing my attention to her, “Goro, I think she’s waking up.”

“Did you not administer her medications?”

“She’s healing well enough,” he checks over her vitals on the screens before moving to lean over her slightly, “she didn’t need anymore. Figured she’d stay out a bit longer though… didn’t quite plan for her waking up this soon.”

“Is this a problem?” I unintentionally wring my hands, feeling uncomfortably useless.

“Shouldn’t be,” he cups her face in his hands, rubbing her temples slightly with his thumbs as if to coax her to wake fully, “might be good actually, could mean she’s further along than I thought.”

** Your POV: **

The light takes some adjusting again, starting off bright, hurting your eyes until it fades gradually to allow you to focus your senses.

Vik’s face smiles down at you, his hands caressing along your cheeks as his thumbs rub gentle circles up and down your temples, easing the ringing that scratches at the inside of your skull.

“Hey, kid,” he whispers, keeping his voice low as if knowing your sensitivities.

“Vik?” you manage to croak out, your throat almost hurting as you barely speak at all.

“I’m here, kid,” he glances to the side before meeting your eyes again, “your pal, Goro, is here too, never left your side actually.”

Your lips turn up slightly, a small smile being all you can muster with your strength slow to return, feeling a light squeeze along your hand that must be Goro.

It’s a little fuzzy, the course of the next few hours, but bits and pieces seem to register in your mind. Vik running a few tests, Goro lifting you in his arms, both of them helping you into a vehicle, being seated between Vik and V as Goro drives, arriving at your home, the comfort of your own bed…

Grasping Goro’s hand before he could part, even in your barely coherent state, wanting him to stay with you and somehow managing a soft grin when he happily obliges.

The peaceful sleep you’d been deprived of for so long finally finding you as the cool fabric of your familiar sheets engulfs your body in a level of comfort yet to be matched.

It’s good to be home…


	39. Necessary Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alrighty guys I know this isn't the most exiting chapter ever and thanks for being so patient with me while I've been under a mound of ungodly amounts of homework, but I have a lot planned and I'm excited to get these next few chapters to you!

You wake with a start, jolting upright in bed with a cold sweat slicked over your body, your clothes sticking uncomfortably as you glance around, allowing your optics to adjust to the darkness of the room while your racing heartbeat subsides.

A gentle hand touches your shoulder as someone stirs beside you, nearly startling you again.

Goro sits up and feels your forehead, frowning slightly before taking your face in his hands to look from eye to eye, “are you alright, love?”

You let out a deep breath, head aching as you remember bits and pieces of what you assume to be the previous day, leading up to you being brought home, “I’m fine, I just… I think I wanna take a shower.”

He nods and swings his legs over the side of the bed, making his way around with some haste as you stubbornly move to stand on your own. One of his arms slides around your waist, supporting you as you sway slightly before you shrug him off, giving a small but warm smile in hopes he might be understanding rather than take it personal.

Being weak didn’t suit you.

As much as you appreciate his help, you still want to make your own way, taking it slow at first before regaining the balance to walk with some air of confidence akin to your usual gait.

You turn on the shower, smiling again at Goro as he leans against the counter nearby, clearly still trying to keep a close eye on you.

“I’ll be fine,” you reassure him, “but, if you wanna join me, I guess I wouldn’t object.”

He chuckles softly, his eyes softening as he begins to undress, unbuttoning his shirt as you toss your own clothes aside.

His eyes trail over you, but not quite the same as they’ve done in the past… you try to ignore the feel of his eyes, the crease of his brow, knowing the stare lingers along the still bruised portions of skin discolored here and there.

You feel guilty more than anything… ashamed at your own inability to handle the situation, enraged at the loss of Markus, and regrettably still in the midst of recovery.

As much as you’re the type to spring into action, take things head on, even in a diplomatic regard – when possible – you understand the need to rest, even if it pains you to spend this time doing anything other than avenging the death of a friend and ensuring the safety of your…

Well, to be honest, you hadn’t quite had the time to think of Goro as your boyfriend. The title actually seems a bit lacking when saying it even just to yourself.

You feel so much more than that for him already.

Still, the warmth of his hands gently trailing over your skin, his lips pressing lightly to your temple as he wraps his arms around you… brings comfort, a level of calm settling over you and for a brief time allowing the swarm of thoughts to quell – leaving only this moment.

The cascade of water instantly soothes your aching body, coaxing a light sigh of relief from your lips that doesn’t go unnoticed.

His hands caress your face, coaxing you to open your eyes to meet his, finding him to be smiling softly.

Before you can utter a single word, he presses his lips to yours.

His kiss is gentle, but deep, holding you like you may break at his touch but also conveying his need to have you close.

You slide your hands to rest along his chest, feeling him pull away slightly to meet your eyes again before leaning his forehead to rest against yours.

Both of you remain silent, the steady drum of water relaxing you further as you feel his arms tighten slightly around you, allowing you to lean into him with no worry of keeping your own balance.

Admittedly, you want to enjoy this moment for what it is, but also want to savor the calm before the storm…

There’s so much still to be done, to be said, to be figured out…

But for now, Goro’s lips pressing repeatedly along your temple and cheek keep you anchored in the present.

** V POV: **

Can’t say I really expected to hear from her so soon, knowing she was quick to recover but still figurin’ she’d want some alone time before havin’ these conversations.

Glad to be headed over, to be seeing her again.

But the closer I get to her house, the more my palms clam up, heart starting to beat faster.

Johnny doesn’t help either, a major stick being implanted deep up his ass since the whole incident happened. Blaming Goro for all of it and pushin’ me harder than ever to find a new hideout for him.

Still playin’ blind to what’s right in front of him too.

Can’t accept the dynamic, doesn’t even wanna consider she’s fallen for ‘some ‘Saka scum’ like Goro. Hasn’t shut up about it since Goro admitted his feelings for her…

To be honest, not quite sure if Johnny hates him, or just really loves her.

Even more, I can’t really tell if it’s love from my memories, or some weird thing he’s developed on his end.

Either way, haven’t had a moment of peace last few days, not even after Vik released her to go home.

Actually startin’ to worry me how silent he’s been the drive over.

All this time spent begging him to shut up and now he’s staying visible just to emphasize his silent treatment.

We pull up in the drive, not sure what to expect but damn sure hoping I can hold it together when I see her again. Last time was… rough, to say the least. Never seen her so banged up, so hurt… rattled me more than I’d like to admit.

I walk in, making my way through the living room to find her standing at the kitchen counter.

Maybe I expected her to be in a hospital bed, or hooked up to machines still. Maybe just a little messier or something, but definitely didn’t think she’d been dressed to her usual spec and looking so… normal.

Goro’s next to her, earning a glare from Johnny instantly…

His hand is at the small of her back, making my throat tighten a bit even after knowing… expecting this to happen was one thing, seeing it is… another entirely.

She gives a soft smile to Goro, he just returns with a shallow nod and makes his way to the door, nodding towards me as he passes, “V.”

“Yeah, good to see you too, Goro.”

Stings a bit, feeling so casual between us but so cold at the same time. Especially after seeing him so warm with her. So… domestic.

In love even.

Couldn’t imagine him ever fussing over me like that.

Saved my life before, sure, maybe became friends by the end of it with some sense of respect for each other… and hell, maybe that’s all I feel, like he said, some fucked up and confused emotions brought on by finding out I’m gonna fuckin’ flatline in a pretty short window of time… maybe I’m just latching onto him because of what we’ve been through together.

Doesn’t hurt that he’s so goddamn attractive.

But, I’d admitted before how little we really have in common. Something he brought up too.

Knowing they’d get along perfectly from the minute he asked if I knew where he could lay low…

With a somewhat uncomfortable sigh I take a seat at the counter, leaning forward on my elbows to pick at something along the edge of my fingernails rather than look up at her.

She leans forward, hands clasping mine across the countertop, “V, can you please just-“

I glance up, reluctant to meet her eyes but sucking it up anyway, cutting her off mid-sentence, knowing she can see the tears brim along the edge threatening to spill over.

“V…” she mutters, eyes softening as she gives my hands a squeeze.

“How could you do that?”

She seems taken aback for once, her brows furrowing, head tilted.

“How could you just go off and almost die like that?” I feel my voice crack, dropping my gaze back to my hands in hers, “did you just not care what it would do to me? To… to Goro?”

“V…” she mutters again, sighing softly, “that’s exactly why I did it. You both matter a great deal to me, and there’s a lot I’m willing to do for those I care about.”

“You could’ve-“

“But I didn’t,” she squeezes my hands again, lowering her head a bit to try and coax me to meet her eyes, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

I can’t help but bite my cheek, holding back the tears, feeling the lump in my throat rising.

“Listen, V,” she pauses for a bit, thinkin’ on her words, “we already lost Markus, someone who I cared for and trusted, and who trusted me. I let him down when my actions led to him dying, but I won’t let that happen again. So first thing tomorrow, whether you like it or not, I’m dragging your stubborn ass to my off-site clinic and you’re getting examined by my staff and do **_not_** interrupt me or try to argue,” she points a finger of warning when my eyes dart up and open my mouth to speak.

I wanna be mad, wanna argue, but honestly just feel… relief… feeling like this was the most normal a conversation we could possible have right now, given the circumstances. Her usual self-blame for everything going wrong, thinking she could control it all even when it’s just the unfortunate reality of things.

Her pushing me to take care of myself and not givin’ me an option.

Makes me smile a bit.

She smiles back when I squeeze her hands in return and nod at her words, giving in even against my better judgement because I know that worst case scenario it at least makes her happy and lets her feel like she tried, like she did something to help me in the end.

To me, she’s done more than enough, having raised me and tried to point me in the right direction, but she never sees that. She only ever sees what she’s yet to do. Always thinks she needs to contribute in some major way.

I take a breath and get ready to fuck up the mood, “I uh… I need to tell you something. It’s about Goro.”

She just nods, her own eyes dropping a bit, “I know, V.”

“He told you?” I feel a little hurt that he’d open up to her so quick about that, but can’t say it really surprises me, not with how he seems to feel about her – just wish I coulda talked to her first is all.

She nods again, brow creasing, “I’m sure you surmised as much by now, but there’s been a certain… development, I guess you could say, in that regard.”

I feel my throat tighten again, knowing what’s coming but guessing I need to hear it anyway, just keepin’ quiet, letting her do the talking.

“V, Goro and I…” she sighs and trails off, “I guess I’ll just be blunt here, but we’ve uh… we’ve clicked, I guess you could say. Gotten along infinitely better than I’d imagined, and, as much as I wish it weren’t true for your sake, given your own feelings, developed a level of attachment for one another.”

“So you fucked is what you’re saying.”

She shakes her head, the grin spreading across her features barely holding back laughter, “gotta love your brash language, V.”

“Well,” I shrug, feeling jealousy in waves mixed with an odd happiness for my sister, the opposing emotions making me feel strange… “am I wrong?”

“Not wrong,” Goro’s voice sounds as he walks into the room, finding his way to stand by her again, “but unnecessarily vulgar, as always.”

“I hardly think we needed to answer that one way or the other,” she scrunches her nose at him a little, seeming to make him smile before turning her attention back to me, “V, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, and I hope you understand had I known…”

I shake my head and glance between the two of them, “no, I wouldn’t wanna keep the two of you apart, seem match made for each other. Just all scrambled in the brain with everything that’s happened,” I look down at my hands, giving hers a squeeze one more time before pulling out of her grasp, “I really am happy for you both, even if it takes me some time to really get used to it.”

“I am relieved to hear that,” Goro smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he returns his hand to rest affectionately at the small of his back.

“Can’t say the same for Johnny though,” I glance over at what they would only see as an empty chair, surveying Johnny’s crumpled posture as he bangs his head along the countertop, “he’s takin’ it pretty hard.”

Johnny throws his hands up, looking to the sky, _‘WHHYYYYYYY?!’_


	40. Clinical Trials

** Goro POV: **

It does not surprise me that the moment we actually set foot in the clinic, V became much less cooperative than initially promised. Though, to be fair, her experience with Arasaka had left an understandably terrible taste in her mouth regarding experimentation and testing…

I cannot blame her, and should have assumed as much.

But it does not make the situation any less of an annoyance, to both me and her still recovering sister – who is stubborn as ever and refused to stay home to rest.

I acknowledge the danger of accompanying them here, but refuse to let her travel in this state without my being immediately next to her, even in her own company confines – as that had already proven to be less than helpful, she would risk herself all over again before allowing her company to fall under fire.

An admirable trait on paper, but worrisome when seen in the one I hold most dear… I do not wish to see her sacrifice her own life for mine, or anyone else’s for that matter.

Admittedly, her clinic is much more… hospitable… than the Arasaka orbital station, or any clinic of Arasaka branding for that matter. Where I have been used to the sterile and clean, but almost robotic and lacking any genuine human emotion… this is still quite a professional setting, modern in décor certainly, but the employees… the staff… they smile at you, greet you, genuinely seeming to enjoy their jobs and want to help you for the sake of your wellbeing rather than furthering their own careers.

I had long given up the idealistic mindset that people were, at their core, good. Arasaka had taught me that such thoughts were a luxury I could not afford…

Yet here I am, arm around the waist of the woman I am certain to be the love of my life, even if I have not told her as such… in her company’s clinic, surrounded by people who know and adore her, and in turn are warm towards V and myself simply for being with her.

The only experience I had up to this point was the fear that Saburo had instilled in those around him, having grown to idolize the man and falling into a blind loyalty that I would be ashamed to look back on were it not for the path I now find myself on. When looking back, I cannot say that I would change a single thing, because I would not have ended up here.

However, I also cannot forget that my past haunts me still… in both the figurative and literal sense.

Danger potentially lurking around every corner. My old instincts proving quite handy as I do my best to keep a constant eye out for what may come next.

** Your POV: **

V begrudgingly holds up to her word, albeit with quite a decent amount of complaining the whole way… but still, she manages to allow some testing to be done, even admitting it didn’t hold a torch to what she’d been through on Arasaka.

The whole thing only took a few hours, the testing portion being the simplest part. Now came the waiting game… your team having an immense amount of data to dig through and simulations to run before actually trying to implement any sort of possible treatment on V.

Even if this were a usual thing to be worked on, it was made infinitely more difficult by the limited timeframe given to V already. Not to mention the fact that each passing day left her worse and worse, meaning the countdown was even tighter than originally thought.

A few of the team had insisted on looking at you as well, but you assured them Vik’s work was up to par. To be honest, you’d practically begged Vik on multiple occasions to come work for you, or at least let you put him on payroll for all he’d done for you and V already. He’s a quality Ripper, but refused, saying he liked the small quiet life, that it suited him much better than being in a corporation – even one like yours.

You sit with V in the back the whole drive back, insisting on driving her home, holding her hand the whole way while she leans her head on your shoulder to doze off. It had been a long day for her, even though the testing wasn’t as brash or impersonal as Arasaka’s it still took a lot out of her… and she was having a hard time to begin with, her hallucinations increasingly more frequent, almost seeming to lose track of whether Johnny was actually there or not. Occasionally she would actually speak aloud to him rather than keeping the conversation in her own head, usually not even realizing she’d done it until everyone would glance up at her in curiosity.

It was hard seeing her like this, knowing things could have been different if you had made her stay.

You’d give almost anything for her to be better, but you also feel guilty in saying that, even just to yourself. If none of this had happened you never would have met Goro, never been able to help him or to feel like this about someone.

It’s tough, being torn between the two people you care about most.

You want desperately to help both of them, but know that each endangers the other in some way.

Helping Goro puts stress on V and makes her condition worse, and endangers your own life in dealing with Arasaka.

Helping V endangers Goro’s freedom and potentially further exposes your corporation for what it really is, what you’ve worked so hard to build.

With V being passed out, you opt instead to bring her home with you, not wanting Goro to be seen around her apartment anyway after knowing Arasaka had been there multiple times. The day had been risky enough as it is.

Goro carries her inside, taking her to what was only recently his room, a strange sensation setting in as you realize the drastic turn of events the last few weeks had held. Your legs soon carrying you to your own room, now shared with Goro, undoubtedly an exciting thought under normal circumstances, but unfortunately there had been very little room for your budding relationship to really have any space in your mind the last few days.

You love him, that much is clear. The small amount of time you’d been together not seeming like enough to know… but you do.

It’s always said that the right person comes along and you just… feel it…

Something you’d always scoffed at, turned your nose up and rolled your eyes, perhaps even laughing incredulously at whomever would say it. Now you understand.

Of course, you’d have to go and fall head over heels for the dangerous, wanted man on the run, hiding from his past. Something straight out of a movie or romance novel – not that you read those… certainly don’t have a whole shelf of them in your home… – it seems exciting in theory, but the reality of it was much more cumbersome.

You’d do anything to have a normal life with him, settle down in some quiet corner and continue your business from behind the scenes, doing good without actually having to be out in the thick of it to risk your own necks, coming home each night to eat dinner together and curl up to him in bed.

His arms wrap around you, pulling you in for a hug and bringing you back to reality, having noticed your distant demeanor the majority of the day and remaining silent until now, his eyes searching yours as he shifts his hands to cup your face as he whispers softly, “I love you.”


	41. My Love

** Goro POV: **

My heart pounds in my chest, breath hitching in my throat as I await her response somewhat anxiously.

Her eyes soften as she leans into me, “I love you, too.”

I cannot contain the smile that spreads across my features, feeling a lightness replacing the dull ache that had begun to develop in my stomach, my heart skipping slightly as I press my lips to hers.

To hear her say it in return brings me more than just joy… something I do not have the words to describe, but to say I am happy seems like a vast understatement. To imagine life without her at this point is impossible, my heart utterly belonging to her, and every thought of the future involving her in some way. That she feels the same is a relief in many ways.

There is still so much to be done, to be resolved, but for now, having her in my arms and her lips moving gently against my own.

She pulls away with a soft grin still pulling across her lips, calling over her shoulder as she steps into the bathroom, “care to join me for a shower?”

“Are your muscles still sore, darling?” I step around the corner to find her already undressing, the bruising along her body nearly gone, making my gait falter slightly.

She takes notice, her eyes moving up to meet mine with a coy grin, “may have had the lab give me a small nanite shot.”

My brows furrow somewhat, stepping closer to run my hand along her almost entirely healed skin, “is it not dangerous to use?”

“If you overdo it maybe,” she shrugs out of her pants and tosses them to the floor, her smooth skin almost immaculate once more and making my throat go dry, “the labs have made a lot of progress though, we’ve been able to stabilize it in small enough doses. The larger, reconstructing nanites are what we still occasionally run into issues with.”

“You are nearly healed, that is…” I tuck my knuckles along her chin, feeling down her throat and along her collar bone then along her previously cracked ribs, “that is amazing. I was beginning to worry about the recovery process, having gained some insight into your stubbornness.”

She gives a short laugh and flinches slightly, gripping my hand as I lightly graze across the lower of her ribs, “careful there.”

“Are you ticklish?” I quirk a brow and feel the edge of my lips twitch up in a smirk.

“Are you?” She grins in return, my hand retracting immediately to prevent her testing any theories she may have about my own ticklish nature.

Thankfully, her curiosity is easily quelled, her eyes seeming locked on my torso as I shrug off my own shirt, drawing my smirk ever wider.

I love how she looks at me, how she steps closer to run her hands up along my chest of her own accord, her eyes raking over me before pulling me in for a kiss. I do so thoroughly enjoy initiating things myself, but knowing she feels the same even physically, that she wants me the same way I want her…

** Your POV: **

The tile of the shower is already warm from the steam of the running water.

Lucky for you.

Your back pressing against it as Goro lifts you, your legs wrapping around his waist instantly with a light moan into his mouth.

He smirks against your lips until you tug at his hair, a light groan of his own sounding as his hips roll.

The friction coaxes more noise from both of you, prompting him to deepen the kiss, your heart already pounding and heat pooling in your stomach with a hunger desperate to be satiated.

Goro seems to share your sentiments, shifting slightly before sliding into you just barely, your other hand gripping his shoulder as a string of moans and whimpers escapes your lips. Each move he makes slipping him further inside, making your eyes screw shut as your head digs back against the tile wall.

“Goro,” you draw out his name in a low moan, tugging at his hair as his hips snap forward, making a whimper catch in your throat, turning into a gasp.

A crooked smirk hangs off the edge of his lips as you open your eyes, his bottom lip moving between his teeth briefly before slipping back out, a soft groan of his own sounding in his throat when you again tug at his hair.

He mutters your name, head lulling forward to press hungry kisses along your neck.

You feel your stomach burning, toes threatening to curl already, “Goro… fuck, hang on. Hang on.”

He slows and pulls back to caress your face with one of his hands, the other still helping to hold you up, “what’s wrong? Am I hurting you?”

“No,” you shake your head, still out of breath and letting out a soft chuckle, “fuck, definitely not hurting me… I just don’t wanna finish that fast, and it feels way too good right now.”

He smirks and kisses you lightly, the tile moving from your back and the sound of the shower growing distant as he walks into the bedroom, parting long enough to see where he’s going before the bed is beneath you.

You quirk a brow up at him as he resituates himself, but before you can even open your mouth to speak you find yourself moaning again, his movements slow but deep. It keeps you from getting too close to the edge, but still feels amazing, his lips trailing up and down your neck before his teeth graze over the sensitive skin.

It drives you crazy, stuck between wanting this to last and needing more…

You run your hands up through his hair and tug, hitching your legs up higher along his waist to give him a better angle, coaxing a loud groan from his lips as his hips again snap forward.

Unable to take it anymore, you grip along his shoulders and roll, his back meeting the bed as you relish in taking over, sitting up to roll your hips with your hands resting on his chest for support.

His head digs back, the cords of his neck seeming to stretch as a deep groan sounds deep in his chest, his hands gripping your hips to help grind you harder against himself.

You shift your legs at his sides, finding a good spot before getting a rhythm down, massaging the sensitive part inside yourself while keeping him entirely inside, his groans urging you on as his chest heaves beneath your palms.

His heartrate picks up as you slowly slide up and down a few times before returning to your grinding motion, his eyes opening to trail over your body, watching your every move as his brows knit together.

You slide your hands up, leaning over him to tangle them in his hair, watching his eyes roll back and tighten shut as you tug and begin moving up and down again.

His grip on your hips tightens, shifting slightly and catching you off guard as your back hits the bed, his weight on top of you in an instant.

Your translator flashes words across your screen, Goro’s husky voice low in your ear as he grips along the front of your throat, “I can take no more of your teasing…”

He nuzzles his face along the crook of your neck, biting gently as he slides fully inside again, earning a low moan from both of you, his breath hot along your skin before he begins to move.

Heat builds quickly along your stomach, his movements picking up both in pace and force, the sound of his groaning so near your ear mixing with your own string of moans and whimpers sending you hurtling towards the edge.

It’s all too much.

Your eyes screwing shut as you arch into him, legs hitching up further along his waist and his name spilling from your lips in louder and louder moans, grateful to the soundproof quality of your home as your hands grip his hair and shoulder. Sanity leaving you and head spinning, air coming in gasps as your release brings light spasms, coaxing Goro through his own as he lets out a guttural groan.

You both stay like this for a moment, catching your breaths before he lifts enough to meet your eyes, his hair barely held up by the bun, stray strands falling around his face here and there as he grins softly, “I had missed this already,” he chuckles softly.

With a nod, you return his smile, your hands moving up through your own hair to tame it back somewhat, “me too, babe. I’m increasingly appreciative of those nanites for speeding up my recovery, not sure we would’ve been able to do this for quite a while otherwise.”

His grin broadens, pressing a light kiss to your lips, “as am I, my love. Though spending time with you is pleasant enough in itself.”

“Yeah,” you shrug, smirking as you trail your hands up along his arms, “but I can’t keep my hands to myself around you…”

He chuckles and caresses your face with one hand, “you are insatiable, darling, what am I ever to do with you?”

You hum and feign being lost in thought, slowly tangling your hands in his hair and tightening your legs around his waist again as you meet his eyes once more, “well… I could think of a few things…”

He groans as you tug his hair, his hips rolling as one of his hands moves to hitch your leg further, sliding up your thigh, “so eager for round two already?”

“Do you need to rest?” you smirk playfully, one of your brows twitching up.

He draws his bottom lip between his teeth, rolling his hips again and watching as you arch beneath him, his hand sliding from your thigh to trail up along your stomach, moving up between your breasts and to rest along the front of your throat, “you are entirely too convincing, my love.”


	42. Chapter 42

To everyone waiting on an update I'm sorry it's taking so long, those who follow me on tumblr already know but I'm posting here as well. Unfortunately I just started the process of divorce so the stories have taken a back seat, I'm not abandoning them, but life is a little rough at the moment. Thank you to everyone for being so patient with me and I'll return when I can.


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